After our homes were confiscated and we were exiled, the women in my clan and I raised a million sol

After finishing the bowl of noodles, Zhang Liang gently put down his chopsticks, turned to Zhong Shu and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm full."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shu nodded slightly, stood up and prepared to clean up the dishes.

However, Zhang Liang stopped her with his hand and said gently, "Sister-in-law, let the maids handle this kind of thing. There's no need to trouble you."

After saying that, Zhang Liang waved to the maids not far away.

Seeing Zhang Liang's actions, the maids immediately came over.

Zhang Liang gave a succinct order: "Put away all these dishes and chopsticks."

The maids moved swiftly and soon cleared the table of dishes and chopsticks.

Watching the maids leave, Zhong Shu said to Zhang Liang, "Uncle, it's getting late now. I'm going to rest first."

Zhang Liang nodded and said with concern: "Then sister-in-law, you should go to bed early. I will go back to my room."

After saying this, Zhong Shu and Zhang Liang left the courtyard together and returned to their own rooms.

As the night deepened, the entire mansion gradually became quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the tranquility.

The next morning, the Liu Mansion was busy. Servants and maids shuttled between the courtyards, preparing for tonight's banquet.

Colorful lanterns are hung high and red carpets are laid on the ground. Every detail reveals the host's care and attention.

As the sun sets and night falls, the lights in front of Liu's mansion are brightly lit, just like daytime.

As the young master of the Liu family, Liu Hu stood at the gate early in the morning, dressed in luxurious clothes and smiling, waiting for the arrival of the four family heads.

His eyes were full of anticipation and respect. After all, tonight's gathering was of great significance to the Liu family.

Not long after, the sound of carriages was heard in the distance. Accompanied by flying dust, four gorgeously decorated carriages slowly stopped in front of Liu's mansion.

The driver controlled the horses skillfully and the carriage stopped steadily.

Seeing this, Liu Hu's smile grew even brighter. He quickly stepped forward and said enthusiastically, "Welcome to the four patriarchs. My father has already told me to wait here for a long time. Please come in, patriarchs!"

After saying that, he made a "please" gesture and led the way.

The four family heads got off the carriage one after another. They were wearing brocade robes and had extraordinary demeanor, but they all had a hypocritical smile on their faces.

Qian Duo spoke first, his tone a bit polite and tentative: "Young Master, you are so polite. This is a small matter that a servant can handle. How dare you trouble me to come and greet me in person?"

Liu Hu smiled and humbly replied, "It is an honor for our Liu family that the four family heads have honored us with their presence. We must personally welcome them to express our sincerity and respect."

As the conversation ended, the four family heads followed the old man's son, stepped into the gate of Liu Mansion, and walked towards the banquet venue.

Although they kept smiling on their faces, their eyes flickered with their own thoughts, adding a subtle atmosphere to the upcoming banquet.

After entering the Liu Mansion, the spacious courtyard was brightly lit, illuminating the surroundings like daylight.

Liu Yu walked out quickly with a friendly smile on his face, as if he had met an old friend after a long separation.

He quickly stepped forward, smiled, and bowed to the four family heads, saying, "Welcome, everyone! It's been a while since we've had a meal together!"

Hearing his words, the other four family heads showed hypocritical smiles on their faces, but there was a subtle hint of vigilance in their eyes.

Zhou Xia spoke first, his voice a bit polite and perfunctory: "Yeah, isn't it true that everyone is busy, so no one has time!"

Liu Yu narrowed his eyes, as if he had noticed something, but he didn't say much. He just smiled slightly and said, "Everyone, let's sit inside and chat first."

Hearing his words, the four people nodded and followed Liu Yu in.

But after entering, they saw a young man sitting at a seat drinking tea leisurely.

When they saw this person, the four of them glanced at each other at the same time, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding with each other.

Liu Yu, who was standing by, noticed the subtle exchange of glances between them. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips, and he immediately said, "Actually, the inviter to today's banquet wasn't me, but that Prince Wang. He has something he wants to discuss with you."

Hearing these words, a hint of surprise and astonishment flashed in the eyes of the four family heads.

From Liu Yu's tone, they keenly grasped a message: the Liu family seemed to have sided with the young man. As one of Ninggucheng's largest families, their choice was naturally not to be underestimated. This meant that the power behind the young man was not to be underestimated, enough to shake the entire power structure of Ninggucheng.

Thinking of this, a glimmer of vigilance and reassessment flashed across the eyes of the four family heads.

At this moment, the young man slowly stood up, put down the teacup in his hand, and walked steadily to the front of the four family heads.

He had a smile on his face, but his eyes revealed an unquestionable confidence and authority.

"Hello, all the family heads!"

Zhang Liang's voice was loud and clear, echoing in the banquet hall.

"I've heard of your great names from Old Liu before, and seeing you today, I can see you're truly extraordinary!"

Upon hearing this, the four family heads put away their thoughts and put on polite smiles, but the caution and calculation deep in their eyes could not be completely concealed.

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Zhao Hao smiled, with a hint of trial and consideration in his eyes.

He slowly said, "Young Master Wang has done quite a lot in Ninggu City these past few days. Seeing him today, he is indeed a rare talent."

After some pleasantries, everyone took their seats and the banquet officially began.

Liu Yu immediately ordered Liu Hu to have the dishes served. For a moment, the banquet was filled with cups and plates, and the aroma filled the air.

As the host, Zhang Liang warmly invited the four heads of families to drink, eat and chat, but he never mentioned the real purpose of inviting them.

Seeing this, the four family heads couldn't help but become more alert. While responding to Zhang Liang's greeting, they secretly speculated on the young man's true intentions.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zhang Liang finally put down the wine glass in his hand and glanced at the four family heads present, his eyes revealing a calm confidence.

Seeing Zhang Liang's action, the four family heads understood that it was time to get down to business.

They all put down their wine glasses, restrained their expressions, and looked at Zhang Liang in unison, waiting for his speech, their hearts filled with curiosity and vigilance.

At this time, Zhang Liang slowly said, "Everyone here is the largest grain merchant in Ninggu City. I would like to ask, what is the current price of grain in Ninggu City?"

Hearing this, the four Liangs looked at each other, as if they were communicating something tacitly.

Zhou Xia then smiled a seemingly helpless smile and said, "My Lord, you may not know that our place is located in the southern barbarian land. Barbarians come to plunder from time to time. In addition, there have been frequent disasters this year, resulting in a poor harvest. Therefore, the slightly higher grain prices are unavoidable."

Qian Duo, who was standing by, nodded in agreement after hearing Zhou Xia's words. He then sighed distressedly and echoed, "Yes, even at this price, we are still losing money."

"If it weren't for our pity for the people, we would want to continue raising prices. Otherwise, we won't be able to survive."

After saying this, the four grain merchants all showed sad expressions, as if they were really worried about their livelihood.

Liu Yu listened to their conversation and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

He knew the tricks of these grain merchants too well. It was obvious that they had joined forces to drive up prices, but now they pretended to be compassionate, which made people feel sick.

Zhang Liang shook his head after hearing their words. He then looked at the four grain merchants before him and interrupted their performance: "Everyone! What I want to ask now is the price of grain, not these trivial matters."

Seeing this, Zhao Hao knew he couldn't avoid the question any longer, so he replied, "The current price of grain in Ninggu City is about one hundred coins per bushel."