Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Zhang Jingwei had just been severely scolded by his father-in-law and was in a bad mood. He rode his donkey and wandered aimlessly on the street.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Zhang Jingwei suddenly spotted a dazzling plaque hanging high above a brothel not far ahead. He quickly extended his right leg, attempting to forcefully turn the donkey. However, to his surprise, the normally docile and obedient donkey suddenly became completely unresponsive, as if under a spell. As if it had smelled the alluring aroma wafting from the brothel, its four hooves involuntarily quickened their pace, dashing directly in that direction.

Seeing that the donkey was about to rush into the brothel, Zhang Jingwei was sweating profusely. He pulled the reins desperately and shouted, "Oh my, why is my donkey so disobedient today?"

Qian Ming, who had been jogging behind, was also out of breath. He finally caught up with them. After hearing his young master's complaints, he quickly responded, "Young... Young Master, it's not like a donkey would go to a brothel by itself!"

Zhang Jingwei looked helplessly at the donkey running faster and faster, turned around and glared at Qian Ming, and asked unhappily, "Then why did we end up in front of this brothel?"

Qian Ming's face flushed red, and he stammered for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence. Finally, he stammered, "Master... this... you..."

Seeing Qian Ming hesitating like this, Zhang Jingwei became even more furious. He raised his voice and shouted, "What do you want to say? If you have something to say, just say it!"

Qian Ming was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He quickly lowered his head and whispered, "I... I'm nervous!"

Zhang Jingwei was stunned when he heard this, then he burst into laughter: "Look at your lack of ability, have you never been to a brothel?"

Qian Ming nodded repeatedly and replied with great trepidation, "Never. My wife is very strict with me!"

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand nonchalantly and said soothingly, "What are you afraid of? We just stumbled here by accident. Even if my sister-in-law knew about this, I'm sure she wouldn't blame you!"

After hearing this, Qian Ming continued to shake his head like a rattle, repeatedly saying, "No, no, no, I'm still not going in!"

Zhang Jingwei's face darkened instantly when he saw this. He glared angrily and said, "If you don't come in, who will lead the donkey out?"

Suddenly, a shout came from upstairs: "Brother Jingwei! But Brother Jingwei?" The voice was loud and urgent.

Zhang Jingwei looked up and responded in surprise: "Tianmao?" When he looked closely, he found that the man was Ma Tianmao.

Ma Tianmao said excitedly, "My servant just told me that he saw you riding a donkey to visit this brothel. I was so curious that I hurried over to see what was going on."

Zhang Jingwei quickly waved his hands and explained, "Oh, Brother Tianmao, please don't misunderstand me. I'm definitely not here for pleasure. It's just that this stubborn donkey refused to obey my orders and carried me all the way here."

Ma Tianmao laughed heartily and said comfortingly, "I understand, I understand. Since you're already here, why don't we go in and have a few drinks together?"

Zhang Jingwei shook his head and politely declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Tianmao, but I'm working out these days, so I'd better put the drinking aside for now."

Ma Tianmao frowned upon hearing this and feigned anger, "As a shareholder, I'm asking you to drink, and you dare not comply? Have you forgotten who…what you are?"

Zhang Jingwei quickly gave a wry smile and replied, "It's the CEO, Mr. Ma! Please wait a moment, I'll be upstairs to meet you."

At this moment, Qian Ming, who was standing by, had a worried look on his face, as if he was about to speak but hesitated. He whispered, "Young Master..."

Zhang Jingwei turned to look at Qian Ming and comforted him, "It's okay, you can go home first. As for the donkey, I will ask the people in the brothel to send it back home." After that, he strode upstairs.

……

"Brother Jingwei! Come and see these people. They are all eagerly looking forward to becoming shareholders of our military bank!" Ma Tianmao stood in the middle of the luxuriously decorated private room, stretched out his finger and drew a circle around, his face full of pride.

At this moment, Zhang Jingwei walked into the private room. Seeing this, the businessmen who were sitting or standing and chatting in low voices hurriedly stood up.

"Hello, Master Zhang!"

"Oh, Master Zhang, your presence truly brings honor to my humble abode! I'm just a small business owner in Yingzhou, running a few small rice shops..."

"Master Zhang, I've long heard of your great name! I'm a grain merchant from Huanzhou, and I've always admired you and your army!"

"Master Zhang, here's me too. I came all the way from Shuozhou..."

For a moment, Zhang Jingwei was overwhelmed by the sudden outpouring of flattery. Though he came from a wealthy family, he had little experience in such social gatherings, and for a moment, he felt a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, Ma Tianmao beside him kept whispering gentle reminders, and he was finally able to respond.

After finally dealing with everyone, Zhang Jingwei breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "I'm quite curious. Why are the merchants in Yunzhou so indifferent to this matter, while the merchants in the surrounding states and counties are so enthusiastic?"

Ma Tianmao chuckled and lowered his voice, saying, "The reason is actually very simple. The price of rice in the Hedong area has dropped by at least 30%, but in Yunzhou alone, the price has remained unchanged!"

Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly and asked doubtfully, "What does the falling rice price mean?"

Ma Tianmao shook his head slightly and continued to explain, "Brother Jingwei, have you forgotten the difference between currency and silver that I mentioned to you before? You know, the price of currency has always been stable, while the price of silver will fluctuate with market conditions. In my opinion, with the current drop in rice prices, I'm afraid the price of silver will also be affected..."

Ma Tianmao couldn't help but give a thumbs up and praised: "Smart! You really get it at once, worthy of being from Western Europe!" He showed a satisfied smile on his face and was quite appreciative of the person in front of him.

Zhang Jingwei, standing nearby, looked bewildered and quickly corrected him, "It's the CEO! But I still don't understand how the plummeting rice prices are related to our military bank."

Ma Tianmao sneered and said disdainfully: "Hmph, businessmen are profit-driven and will not do anything without profit. If there is no profit to be made, why would they come running to invest? Those old guys in Yunzhou are short-sighted. In my eyes, they are nothing more than local rich people with vast territory and wealth!" After that, he picked up the teacup and took a sip, his eyes full of contempt.

Zhang Jingwei nodded thoughtfully after hearing this, but he still felt puzzled, so he continued to ask, "Brother Tian Miao, I'm a bit slow-witted and there's one thing I don't understand. I hope you can enlighten me..."

Before he could finish his words, Ma Tianmao waved his hand and interrupted him, "Wait a minute, I can tell you everything you want to know, but..." At this point, he deliberately kept the secret, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, looking at Zhang Jingwei with a smile.

Zhang Jingwei understood what he meant and quickly turned around and shouted outside the door: "Someone, come and get the courtesan!" As soon as he finished speaking, the bartender at the door responded and hurried downstairs to make arrangements.