The carefree sixth prince, my father respectfully invites me to ascend the throne.

"Indian white sugar is so crystal clear because it is washed with the water of the Ganges River in India. The mirrors of the Arab world are made from the tears of the gods. The fire-breathing performance at the entrance is not a trick, but rather the result of the people of our Fire-Breathing Kingdom being protected by the gods and unafraid of fire! There is no secret at all."

The shopkeeper explained.

Yang Ling, however, showed no mercy and laughed, "They say there's no business without cunning, but today I've truly seen something new."

"Since you insist on being stubborn, I'll just get straight to the point."

"Tianzhu white sugar is the residue formed after raw sugar is soaked and filtered with lime milk."

"The mirrors of the Great Food Kingdom are made of glass, which is made by firing quartz in a sealed blast furnace at high temperatures."

"As for the performance at the entrance, if I'm not mistaken, those actors all have something called kerosene in their mouths! Kerosene is flammable, and when it's sprayed onto the torches with the wind, the fire is amplified by the wind, naturally creating the so-called fire dragon!"

Yang Ling exposed the person's deception in one breath.

The shopkeeper was terrified.

How can it be!

How could someone in the Central Plains, thousands of miles away, know so much?

He looked around subconsciously.

But he noticed that all the guests who were drinking and sipping tea were looking at him.

"You...how did you know?"

The shopkeeper looked at Yang Ling.

"I learned from books that the culture of our Central Plains is profound and extensive. How can you, a barbarian from the Western Regions, provoke us so casually?"

"I can replicate all your little tricks anytime I want. How about it, do you want to try?"

Yang Ling replied.

The shopkeeper immediately took a deep breath.

These foreign merchants, carrying goods, traveled thousands of miles across the northern deserts to come to Daliang, weren't they just making a monopolistic profit margin?

The person in front of me actually knows how to make sugar and glass, and even knows how to use kerosene.

If I really offend him, my business will be ruined!

"No! Young master, I know how capable you are! Name your price for these houses!"

The shopkeeper quickly lowered his posture and pleaded.

"Thirty-five thousand taels!"

Yang Ling picked up a brush, crossed out the previous price, and wrote down a new number.

Thirty-five thousand taels!

In just a short while, the price has increased by another five thousand taels.

That's outrageous!

The shopkeeper looked pained.

He was about to agree.

"Wait!"

A voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

Yang Ling turned her gaze, but it was Yang Shan.

He stood up and walked towards me with a strange smile on his face.

"Ninth Brother, you say that the shopkeeper is a cunning businessman, but I think you're the one who's really greedy!"

"In my opinion, your few rooms are worth at most 20,000 taels of silver!"

"How can you treat guests who have come from afar like this? Where have you learned the ways of the sages?"

Yang Shan questioned Yang Ling as he walked.

The scholars followed behind Yang Shan, each one looking quite pleased with themselves, seemingly waiting for Yang Ling to make a fool of himself.

Yang Ling retorted without backing down: "The Way of the Sage? The Sage also spoke of the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues! May I ask if you have heard of them, elder brother?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Shan's face flushed slightly.

Yang Ling continued, "Furthermore, the shopkeeper was cunning and deceitful first, and I took advantage of the situation afterward. As the sage said, 'Repay evil with kindness.' What will you repay kindness with? Repay kindness with kindness, and repay evil with justice! I was merely repaying evil with justice!"

The shopkeeper was stunned by these words.

Looking at the expressions of those scholars, they were all frowning and their faces were dark.

"you……"

Yang Shan was speechless for a moment.

He originally thought that his questioning would help him regain his composure after the embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, Yang Ling's retort rendered his prepared remarks useless.

"Shopkeeper, if you have no objections, please sign and affix your seal!"

Yang Ling turned her gaze and spoke.

Yang Shan watched as Yang Ling was about to earn money, and a surge of anger welled up inside him.

The scholar next to him immediately leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

Yang Shan devised another plan.

"slow!"

He interrupted.

"Brother, is there anything else?"

Yang Ling was getting impatient.

It seems Yang Shan is determined to make things difficult for me today.

"This deal is not going to happen!"

Yang Shan said.

"According to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, any transaction involving land or property in the private sector cannot be completed without the official seal of the Ministry of Revenue!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ling's expression immediately turned serious.

As the Crown Prince, Yang Shan was acting as the acting head of the Ministry of Revenue, which means that this transaction was illegal without his permission!

Using public office for private gain and settling personal scores is a blatant display of malice!

He was framed and exiled to the frontier, forced to sell his property, and yet he still wasn't satisfied?

They must put themselves in a deadly situation!

Yang Ling took a deep breath and clenched her fist.

Just then, a figure appeared at the shop entrance.

"I don't think so! The buyer in this transaction is a foreign merchant, and the business activities of foreign merchants seem to be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, not the Ministry of Revenue!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked toward the source of the voice.

King Chu, Yang Yi!

Yang Ling recognized this royal uncle at a glance.

At this moment, Yang Yi was dressed in a gold-embroidered robe and wore a purple-gold crown. He was gentle, mature, and composed, dressed like a middle-aged scholar, with an elegant demeanor.

“That’s right, this transaction falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites and has nothing to do with the Ministry of Revenue! And the affairs of the Ministry of Rites are handled by the Prince of Chu!”

Yang Ling immediately said.

"This……"

Yang Shan glanced at Yang Ling, then looked at King Yang Yi of Chu.

He couldn't understand why these two people, who were completely unrelated, were now wearing the same pair of pants!

He couldn't understand why the King of Chu would risk offending him, the crown prince, to speak up for Yang Ling.

"uncle!"

Yang Shan complained somewhat.

“Your Highness, if this were a private matter between you two brothers, I wouldn’t care! But since you’ve brought it up in the open, it’s a public matter, a matter of state, and I have an inescapable duty to address it!”

King Yang Yi of Chu looked at Yang Shan and said firmly.

"...Alright! Please handle the official business, Uncle!"

Yang Shan glanced at it again, his face full of anger.

He left angrily with his followers.

With the prince gone, the deal was immediately off, and the shopkeeper quickly signed and sealed the document to settle the matter peacefully.

Yang Ling received 35,000 taels of silver notes.

Yang Fu and Yun'er were both overjoyed.

The group turned and left.

King Yang Yi of Chu was still waiting at the door.

"Uncle! Thank you so much for today!"

Yang Ling quickly bowed.

"Your Highness need not express gratitude! In fact, I was already at the door the moment Your Highness entered the shop!"

Yang Yi waved his hand and laughed.

“I have seen and heard everything you have done and said in the store.”

"In the twenty years I have been in charge of the Ministry of Rites and foreign trade, I have only ever heard of foreign merchants making money off us Chinese from the Central Plains."

"Yet no one has ever been seen taking silver notes from their hands!"

"Your Highness's courage, insight, and resourcefulness have truly impressed me! Therefore, my helping you is something you earned yourself!"

Yang Yi sighed.

"I see! Since you've spoken so frankly to me, I won't hide anything from you!"

"Actually, the money I earned today is just the beginning!"

Yang Ling said mysteriously.

"start?"

Yang Yi was somewhat puzzled.

"Does Your Majesty think that I'm going to Liangzhou just to obediently wait to die?"

Yang Ling countered with a question.