The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Zuo Beichen finally entered the palace. The first thing he did when he arrived was naturally to pay a visit to Shen Tianjiao.

Shen Tianjiao looked at the man in front of her who had a gentle appearance and looked even fairer and more delicate than Bai Yunchi. He was not the vicious playboy described by others at all.

Qiong Niang nudged Shen Tianjiao, who was quite entranced, and reminded her that Zuo Beichen was still kneeling there waiting for her to speak.

"Get up." Shen Tianjiao came back to her senses and signaled Chunchao to bring a stool over for Zuo Beichen.

Zuo Beichen nodded and smiled at Chunchao who brought a stool over to him. He looked like an elegant gentleman, completely different from the description given by outsiders.

"Prime Minister Wang said that you wanted to enter the palace to gain some experience. I wonder what you are interested in?" Originally, Shen Tianjiao didn't need to ask about this kind of thing. Zuo Beichen's destination had already been decided. She did this just to save Wang Yunzhi's face. After all, this Mr. Zuo was Wang Yunzhi's nephew.

"In reply to the Empress, apart from studying, what I am most interested in is business. I have several shops of my own in Beijing, and they are doing pretty well." Zuo Beichen responded respectfully. He is about the same age as Bai Yunchi, but looks much more stable than Bai Yunchi.

Shen Tianjiao's heart moved. This was really what she wished for. She had just complained to Qiong Niang that she had to find a way to make money quickly, otherwise she would soon be unable to make ends meet. And now this person who was good at making money through business was here.

It's true that only those who manage the household don't know how expensive food and fuel are. It hasn't been long, and the generous dowry in Shen Tianjiao's hands has been decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming increasingly scarce.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to have such a hobby." Shen Tianjiao's smile became more and more friendly. "I wonder what kind of shops you run?"

"To answer the Empress, they are not any great shops. They are just a few restaurants, gold and silver jewelry shops, and some rouge and powder shops." Zuo Beichen said it nonchalantly, but in fact, the largest and most profitable shops in the entire Shangjing City are all his. He is a naturally gifted person in business and has learned everything by himself.

"Mr. Zuo is still running a restaurant?" When Qiong Niang heard Zuo Beichen say that he ran a restaurant, she also became interested. These days he had been thinking about what to do to make money quickly. She had never done business before and didn't know how to run it, and she didn't have enough manpower.

A few days ago, she asked someone in Shangjing City to inquire about it, and was told that the restaurant with the best business in Shangjing City now is a restaurant called Yipinlou. From the royal family to the common people in Shangjing City, everyone is strongly admiring Yipinlou, and many people even take pride in being able to have a meal at Yipinlou.

This made Qiong Niang feel that the restaurant business was profitable and relatively easy for her. The best chefs in the world were in the palace. If she really opened a restaurant, wouldn't she be making a lot of money every day?

Of course, there are ways to do business. Qiong Niang was still thinking about who to ask for advice when Zuo Beichen came. It was really God’s help. It seemed that the business of this restaurant was almost certain to be successful.

"Yes, I just opened an inconspicuous restaurant called Yipin Lou, and a few even more inconspicuous small restaurants." Zuo Beichen's business spread throughout Yunli, and even the six kingdoms of Jiuzhou. In the eyes of others, Yipin Lou was already very impressive, but in his eyes, it was indeed nothing.

Qiong Niang, who had just taken a sip of tea, was shocked by Zuo Beichen's words and lost her composure. She choked on the tea and coughed continuously, her face flushed red.

Just then I thought of asking Zuo Beichen for some business advice, ready to make a big move to snatch the business of Yipintang, but I didn't expect that the real owner was sitting right here. What's the point of doing business then?

Although Shen Tianjiao didn't know what Qiong Niang was thinking, she knew that something that could make her lose her composure must be serious. She immediately changed the subject to cover up Qiong Niang's embarrassment, "Mr. Zuo is truly a young and promising man, running so many businesses. It seems that Prime Minister Wang was right. Mr. Zuo is a business genius."

"Your Majesty, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me by my courtesy name, Xinghe." Zuo Beichen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you're too kind. I don't dare call myself a business genius. I just have a bit of business acumen."

"Then according to Zuo, oh, no, according to your opinion, Xinghe, what kind of business is the safest and most profitable now?" Although Shen Tianjiao is the queen, she can't do anything without money.

In Shen Tianjiao's concept, there has never been such a thing as doing business being looked down upon. In her concept, no matter whether it is the emperor, officials, scholars, merchants, farmers, or even tenants, all people are the same. There is no distinction between high and low, just different division of labor. As long as people rely on their own abilities to do serious work and can support themselves, they are great people.

Shen Tianjiao was able to have such a character thanks to her enlightened grandfather in her previous life. When Jinghong was young, his family suffered a major change and he experienced all kinds of human vicissitudes.

So after he revived his family, he not only warned his descendants to treat everyone equally and not to differentiate between rich and poor, high and low, but he also often took his descendants to the most miserable and poorest places in the market to let them experience how difficult it is to survive.

Shen Tianjiao and Zuo Beichen discussed doing business. Not only did she urgently need money to support the various expenses of the army, but she was also very willing to try something she had never tried before.

Zuo Beichen looked up at Shen Tianjiao and thought that this queen was indeed different from ordinary people, not to mention that she was the mother of a country with an extremely noble status.

Even ordinary people with a little status and position, who obviously need to rely on their family business to make a living, avoid talking about business and making money. It seems that as long as they discuss it, they will lower their status and become tainted with vulgarity and materialism.

His father regarded him as a disgrace to the family just because he liked to do business and make money. If he was not the only son in the family, he would have been expelled from the clan, beaten to death and thrown into the wilderness.

But now, the most honorable Queen Mother of Yunli Kingdom is willing to discuss with him these business methods that are despised by the world. It seems that he really did not choose the wrong person.

"In Xinghe's humble opinion, there's no such thing as the most secure business in the world. There are always gains and losses in any business. This includes not only business opportunities and first-mover advantages, but also things like connections and strength."

"But if we were to ask what business is the most profitable, it would definitely be organizing caravans to trade with neighboring countries. We have salt, tea, sugar... which they don't have but desperately need. We can exchange these for horses, cattle, and sheep, and we can make huge profits from them."

"Although the caravan takes a long time to travel, the profits it brings in are unmatched by other businesses. If a trip goes smoothly, it can earn as much as one million taels, or as little as five or six hundred thousand taels. Even if it doesn't go smoothly, it can still bring in at least two or three hundred thousand taels."

In addition to these shops in the capital, Zuo Beichen himself has a caravan of astonishing size, which travels back and forth between Yunli and the surrounding countries twice a year. Over the years, the caravan alone has brought him huge profits.

"Caravan, doing business with the surrounding countries?" Shen Tianjiao immediately started to think about whether this was feasible or not.

She has people, and the goods that Zuo Beichen just mentioned are not in short supply. She can get them easily. What makes her more advantageous than others is that her father, Marquis Zhenbei, can provide her with the most sufficient guards, which can reduce the covetousness of others and protect her people and property to the greatest extent without loss.

What she lacks now is someone with outstanding abilities who can help her do this. This person must not only have courage, acumen and decisiveness in dealing with various problems, but must also be absolutely loyal. Such a person is too hard to find.

Zuo Beichen waited for a long time but there was no response from Shen Tianjiao. He looked up and saw Shen Tianjiao was lost in thought about something.

"Empress, Xinghe came to the palace today to prepare a big gift for you. I hope you will accept it without being disgusted." Zuo Beichen took out a gift list from his sleeve and presented it.

Chunchao took the gift list and presented it to Shen Tianjiao. Shen Tianjiao picked up the gift list, took a quick look at it, and looked up at Zuo Beichen in surprise.

Zuo Beichen stood there obediently with his head lowered, allowing Shen Tianjiao to examine him.

"Zuo Beichen, isn't this gift a bit too big?" The gift list contained all of Zuo Beichen's assets. Although Shen Tianjiao didn't know what the shops on the gift list were, from the conversation with Zuo Beichen just now, she had a general understanding of Zuo Beichen's strength in her mind, and these shops should be worth a lot of money.

If Zuo Beichen said he had nothing in return for such a big gift, even a fool wouldn't believe it.

"Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"

"Your Majesty is a straightforward person, so Xinghe will speak frankly." Zuo Beichen lifted the hem of his clothes and knelt down. "Your Majesty, this is both my token of allegiance and the military pay I willingly offer to the troops on the front lines."

"Xinghe does have something to ask of the Empress, but regardless of what I ask, whether the Empress agrees or not, this gift list belongs to the Empress."

"No reward without merit. I am not a person who likes to rob and rob. If I cannot do what you ask for, this gift will naturally be returned to its original owner." Although Shen Tianjiao is in urgent need of money, she still adheres to the principle that a gentleman loves money but gets it in a proper way. She only takes what she deserves. She will not take things that do not belong to her even if they are given to her for free.

"Your Majesty, please don't mind. Although Xinghe is a useless person, he also has a patriotic heart. Xinghe also knows that Your Majesty will not use this money for other purposes, but will only use it for the soldiers who defend and expand the territory of our Yunli Kingdom."

"If Yunli Nation wants to maintain long-term peace and stability, it naturally cannot do without these soldiers who have toiled and fought outside. This money is just a small token of my gratitude and duty as a Yunli citizen. Please accept it, Your Majesty."

"To me, these treasures are just external possessions. It doesn't matter whether I have them or not. But for my Yunli soldiers, they can play the greatest role. They can go to the battlefield without going hungry, they can have clothes to wear and not suffer from the cold, they can have enough medicine to avoid the pain and pain, and they can live well and kill more enemies."

Zuo Beichen said this sincerely and was not lying. Although others said that he was a cruel playboy, he was actually a man with great love in his heart. Most of the rumors about him in the outside world were exaggerated.

Regardless of whether Zuo Beichen's words were true or false, Shen Tianjiao was moved. "Okay, I'll accept the gift. On behalf of my Yunli soldiers, I'd like to thank you, Xinghe, for your gift. If you have anything to ask, please tell me. As long as it's something I can do, I will never refuse."

"Xinghe would like to thank the Empress first. Actually, what Xinghe wants is not difficult." Zuo Beichen looked up at Shen Tianjiao and said, "Xinghe wants to ask the Empress for a favor and avenge his mother's murder."

Shen Tianjiao was slightly startled, then immediately understood what Zuo Beichen meant. Everyone said that Zuo Beichen's mother's death was caused by his father, Zuo Ziling, favoring a concubine over his wife, but in reality, things were probably more complicated than that. No matter how much Zuo Ziling doted on that concubine, how could a mere concubine kill the mistress of the household without his permission?

Zuo Beichen might have already discovered the secret, but he had no way to bring the real murderer of his mother to justice because he was burdened by filial piety.

Zuo Ziling is his biological father after all. In today's world, it is not allowed for a biological son to disobey his father, let alone sue his father to the law.

Therefore, Zuo Beichen can only rely on external forces to expose the fact that Zuo Ziling murdered his wife, so that he can receive the punishment he deserves.

Shen Tianjiao was very happy to help. Anyone could kill this scum who not only favored his concubine but also killed his wife.

"So do you want me to kill only Zuo Ziling, or do you want the entire Zuo family to fall into ruin, with no chance of recovery?"

Shen Tianjiao felt that Zuo Beichen must be a vengeful person. He would not just want Zuo Ziling to die. Sometimes the one who did evil would not just be one person, but the entire family behind him.

As expected, Zuo Beichen opened his mouth and said, "Xinghe wants the entire Zuo family to decline. He wants no one from them to be able to serve in the government anymore, and there will be no chance of restoring the family's glory."

"Okay, I promise you that one day, I will make sure you see with your own eyes that Zuo Ziling is brought to justice. The Zuo family will be exiled far from the capital, and their descendants will never be allowed to enter the court again."

Shen Tianjiao has always been merciless towards those who do evil. Zuo Ziling even dared to murder his first wife, which shows that their Zuo family is probably rotten to the core. It is only natural to let the evildoers get the retribution they deserve.