Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

The teahouse opposite Juxian Tower is filled with the aroma of tea.

A pretty, thin girl was kneeling at the table, gracefully pouring tea for the two men.

Her movements were light and skillful, as if she had undergone long training.

"Master Wu, I personally selected this girl when I returned to Yangzhou. She is famous for being a skinny girl trained since childhood. I know she will suit your taste, Master Wu." The man sitting on the left said respectfully with a smile on his face.

The man called Master Wu was none other than Wu Desheng, the chief eunuch beside the Third Prince.

Although he was a eunuch, he was extremely lustful.

In the previous life, Wu Desheng had evil intentions towards Birui, who was beside Shen Chuning, and took her away with the help of the third prince Xiao Yuanlang.

At this moment, Wu Desheng was enjoying the girl's service while touching her white and tender little hands like sharpened onion roots, and ripples of emotion surged in his heart.

"Manager Wei is too polite. We feel embarrassed." Wu Desheng showed a proud look on his face, and seemed to be very satisfied with the arrangement.

The girl gently fed Wu Desheng a grape, then asked coquettishly, "Master Wu, don't you like me?"

After eating, Wu Desheng spat the grape seeds into the girl's open palm, his eyes full of desire and greed.

"I like it, I like it. I want to take good care of you now." As he spoke, he stretched out his arms and hugged the girl's slender waist, and the smile on his face became brighter.

Shopkeeper Wei coughed lightly, attracting Wu Desheng's attention.

He turned his head and saw Manager Wei looking out the window, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the Juxian Building opposite.

Shopkeeper Liu was seen greeting the guests with a big smile on his face, looking very proud.

Shopkeeper Wei pretended to be casual and said, "Look at this Juxian Tower. It's really crowded! Shopkeeper Liu is also very prosperous. He must make a lot of money every day."

After hearing this, Wu Desheng no longer had the heart to flirt with the girl. Instead, he pushed her away and drank the tea on the table.

The person Wu Desheng hated most in his life was Manager Liu of Juxianlou.

Outsiders don’t know Manager Liu’s background, but he knows it very well.

The shopkeeper Liu was just a young eunuch who was rescued by the Third Prince. The Third Prince felt sorry for him and allowed him to run the Zuixianlou quietly.

He was in a good situation. Not only did he live as a respectable man outside, but because of his good business, he was able to collect some intelligence and was quite favored by the third prince.

Now, he even looks down upon the eunuchs around him, the third prince.

Wu Desheng snorted coldly, "No matter how much money he makes, he's just a shopkeeper. All the money he earns belongs to the boss behind the scenes."

"Being able to make money is also a skill. As long as you make enough, you will be valued by your master." said Manager Wei.

Wu Desheng snorted coldly and ignored Manager Wei.

Shopkeeper Wei didn't care about Wu Desheng's attitude, but said to himself: "If you want to make money, you have to catch the cusp of the storm."

"As long as you catch the right wind, even a pig can fly."

"Someone in Beijing has recently made a fortune by catching the trend..."

As Manager Wei spoke, he observed Wu Desheng's reaction.

When he saw Wu Desheng sitting up straight and ready to listen carefully, he changed the subject.

Shopkeeper Wei personally picked up the teapot and filled the cup in front of Wu Desheng. "Hey, look at me, why am I saying all this? Master Wu, you are a big shot around the Third Prince, how could you possibly be short of this little silver? Only ordinary people like us would haggle over a few taels of silver."

Wu Desheng tapped the table lightly with his fingers. "What is this vent you're talking about?"

Seeing that Wu Desheng had taken the bait, Shopkeeper Wei asked, "Master Wu, have you noticed the recent price of ice in the capital?"

Wu Desheng thought about it and realized that the ice in the prince's mansion was supplied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and there was never a shortage of it, so he never paid attention to the price of ice.

"Just say what you want to say. Why keep it a secret?" Wu Desheng said with some dissatisfaction.

"Because last winter was long and cold, many families had little ice left. But this year, with the rapid rise in temperatures, everyone's ice was used up early. Last year, a bucket of ice was only one ounce of silver, but now it's seven ounces."

Shopkeeper Wei paused for a moment, "Don't underestimate the value of this bucket of ice. Think about how many households there are in the capital, and how many buckets of ice each household consumes every day."

After saying this, Manager Wei stopped talking, leaving Wu Desheng plenty of time to figure out the account in his mind.

Wu Desheng was shocked after the calculation, but he could only say helplessly: "Anyone can calculate the account, but what's the use if I don't have ice in my hand?"

"Isn't this the purpose of my visit to see Mr. Wu today?" Shopkeeper Wei said, taking out a piece of saltpeter from his body and throwing it into the teacup in front of him. The tea in the cup instantly solidified into ice.

The girl leaning on Wu Desheng widened her eyes in shock, walked past Shopkeeper Wei, took the teacup, looked at it, and put it down again.

"Master Wu, my hands are so cold, please warm them up." The girl said as she put her hand into Wu Desheng's chest.

Wu Desheng felt the cold little hand on his chest and asked, "What did you put in the cup?"

"To answer Mr. Wu, it's saltpeter." After saying this, Manager Wei placed a few pieces in front of Wu Desheng.

Wu Desheng picked up the saltpeter and dropped it into the teacup in front of him. He watched the water in the cup freeze in front of him and thought to himself, "This stuff isn't cheap, is it? If I buy this stuff to make ice, will I make any money?"

"If you buy it for your own use, of course you will make less profit. But if someone else delivers the saltpeter to you, wouldn't it be pure profit?" Manager Wei leaned in front of Wu Desheng and whispered.

Wu Desheng raised his eyebrows and motioned for Manager Wei to continue.

"There's a farm in the suburbs of Beijing that has a lot of saltpeter. Why can't Master Wu use it for himself?"

"Your Majesty has been keeping an eye on several princes recently. If you ask us to do this kind of thing, wouldn't we be causing trouble for the Third Prince? You bold and unruly citizen, what are your intentions?" Wu Desheng said harshly. The dissatisfaction in his voice frightened the girls around him.

The girl gently stroked Wu Desheng's chest, helping him to breathe smoothly. She said with a sweet smile, "Master Wu, you scared me. Why don't you listen to Manager Wei's plan? If this plan is really not good, we can whip him with a whip or beat him with a stick. I will be very sad if you get sick from anger like this."

Wu Desheng held the girl's hand, his heart melting. "Okay, when the time comes, we'll whip you wherever you say we'll whip you."

After that, he turned to Shopkeeper Wei and said, "Tell me how you can use this saltpeter for your own use, provided that you don't cause trouble for the Third Prince."

Shopkeeper Wei said respectfully, "Even if I had the courage of heaven, I wouldn't dare to do that. Master Wu, don't worry. As long as this method is used well, it will be a great achievement for the Third Prince."

"Since it's such a good thing, why do you tell us about it? What do you want to get from it?" Wu Desheng asked the question in his mind.

"The tenant of that farm has some grudges against me. He once abducted my concubine. I really can't swallow this humiliation. I just hope that after Master Wu catches the man, he can hand him over to me for handling." Shopkeeper Wei said angrily.

When Wu Desheng heard this, he thought that it was good to have a request. What he feared most was that benefits came to him for no reason, and there must be a bigger plan behind it.

Seeing that Manager Wei's request would not have much impact on him, he agreed.