What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 147 Su Mo can actually influence the monarch's power!

When a restaurant opens for business, the first day usually sees the highest foot traffic, as most people enjoy novelty and excitement.

Restaurants, in particular, often offer complimentary wine and food.

Whether a restaurant can retain its guests depends on its ability to attract customers.

Bai Yujing's skills were quite formidable.

MSG is absolutely a game-changer for other restaurants in this world!

Customers flocked in, all eager to taste the legendary stir-fried dishes!
They couldn't afford the stir-fries at Tianyilou that started at one or two taels of silver, but they were willing to spend tens of taels of silver on stir-fries at Baiyujing, especially since they even gave one away for free!
The flow of customers was continuous from the time the store opened at noon until sunset.

The restaurant had already used up its original food supplies and had gone out to buy more three times!
The cooks in the kitchen were so tired that their hands and feet were weak and their backs were too sore to stand up straight!

The same applies to waiters!
Due to a shortage of staff, the hostesses hired by the brothel were forced to work as waitresses.

Su Mo also felt that this couldn't go on, otherwise they would all be collapsing tomorrow!
They had no choice but to put up a sign announcing the closure of their business.

Of course, Su Mo didn't mistreat the restaurant staff either.

The head chef will receive a reward of one tael of silver, while the kitchen helpers and waiters will receive five hundred coins!

For any outside help to a brothel, whether it's a young lady or a maid, the fee is two taels of silver per person!
Even the guards in brocade robes responsible for maintaining order were each rewarded with three hundred coins!

The reward alone cost nearly two hundred taels of silver.

Such a generous gesture left the restaurant staff speechless with shock!
But Su Mo didn't care about the money.

As it turns out, there are many wealthy people in Shenjing.

Thirteen membership cards with a prepayment of one hundred taels of silver were issued!

Even two low-ranking officials from the capital, who were quite quick-witted, came to inquire about the silver VIP card.

Su Mo was in a great mood and gave away two copies for free, just to ask them to help improve the reputation of the official class!
However, these are all secondary!

The 300 tables at Baiyujing were almost always occupied, with a turnover rate of 3% that afternoon!
Nine hundred tables!

At an average cost of one tael of silver per table, the total is nine hundred taels of silver!

When Leng Liuxi and Gao Lengqianhu were summoned to the shop by Su Mo's men.

They saw baskets upon baskets of large sums of money, and piles of silver.

I was completely dumbfounded!
"This...this is the restaurant's profit for half a day?"

Leng Liuxi looked at Su Mo in surprise.

She could tell at a glance.

A mountain of silver, at least thirteen hundred taels of silver.

There were over thirty large baskets of coins, probably as many as seven or eight hundred thousand!
The copper coins of the Dawu Dynasty weighed 10 grams for the large coin and 3 grams for the small coin.

Hundreds of thousands of copper coins, weighing an astonishing seven or eight thousand catties!

Su Mo was looking at the ledger, quickly calculating in the booklet with a charcoal pencil.

He casually replied, "Of course it's not for profit!"

"Of the 1,300 taels, it was prepaid for membership cards. In addition, the costs of labor and food also had to be deducted."

"Moreover, the chefs and waiters at the restaurant were exhausted today, and they received a bonus of 180 taels of silver, which will have to be deducted from the profits."

Leng Liuxi was speechless for a moment!
This Su Mo, they say he's greedy, but now he doesn't even value money anymore!
One hundred and eighty taels of silver, I'll tip you right away!
damned!
He personally rewarded court officials, those below the third rank, with a public price of ten taels of silver!

Three items, twenty taels!
Second-class item, thirty taels!
The highest grade is only fifty taels!
Leng Liuxi couldn't help but snort: "The restaurant only makes a little money, why is it giving away so much silver as tips!"

"Also, what is membership card prepayment?"

Su Mo didn't even look up: "If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it grass!"

"The membership card is a prepaid system where customers deposit money into the card first, and the cost of their meals at the restaurant is deducted from the card later!"

Knowing that Leng Liuxi would definitely ask the customer why they were depositing money, he simply added, "Member cards offer a 10% discount!"

"This is one of the ways restaurants cultivate a loyal customer base."

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi couldn't help but admire Su Mo's business acumen!

Seeing that Su Mo was engrossed in calculations, with the account book in front of him standing a foot high, it did not disturb Su Mo.

He looked at Zhenshou from the side for a while.

But she discovered that Su Mo didn't use an abacus to do the accounting; instead, she kept drawing strange symbols on the book with a charcoal pencil, which she couldn't recognize.

A strange light flashed in Leng Liuxi's eyes.

This guy can even do accounts!
Is there anything in this world that he doesn't understand?

What kind of script are these symbols?
It is completely different from the runes of immortals!
Could it be... academic knowledge from the real Baiyujing?
Leng Liuxi was increasingly amazed as she looked at him, and before she knew it, her head was almost touching Su Mo's!
The ledgers look numerous.

However, by simply adding up the accounts and subtracting expenses such as the purchase of food ingredients, one can roughly estimate the profit.

Even elementary school students can do this!

Su Mo looked at the numbers he had obtained, and they were roughly in line with his estimates.

Since the restaurant is our own, there's no need to be precise about every penny.

I'm too lazy to recalculate it!

He almost always got full marks in elementary school math exams, showing a great talent for calculation. Now his memory is even better, and he has a strong mind, so he rarely makes mistakes.

"Phew, finally finished!"

He looked up and, with a thud, bumped his forehead against Leng Liuxi's!
Su Mo was both amused and exasperated.

She leaned in so close, staring intently at me, as if afraid I was lying about the accounts?

She can understand arithmetic operations?
Su Mo rubbed her forehead, surprised that this seemingly delicate woman was actually quite strong!

He smiled wryly and said, "What are you doing, Lord Leng!"

"Even if you're watching me settle accounts, don't get so close!"

She immediately noticed that the commander looked pale and was covered in sweat. She asked with concern, "Commander, are you alright?"

The aloof commander quickly replied, "I'm fine!"

He glanced at the Empress almost imperceptibly, then immediately asked, "Is the score settled so quickly?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi also looked at Su Mo curiously, ignoring the bump Su Mo had given her on the forehead: "Young Master Su, are you lying to us?"

"How can we possibly finish calculating so many ledgers in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn?"

Standing behind Su Mo, Jiang Lan also looked incredulous.

Although I don’t understand, I feel it’s powerful!
Su Mo smiled and said, "It's just a diary entry, it won't take long!"

"Today's revenue for the restaurant totaled 981 taels, while the expenses amounted to 800 taels, mainly for employee rewards, food supplies, complimentary dishes, and aged liquor!"

"The profit is around 180 taels."

After a pause, Su Mo smiled and said, "The situation is much better than I expected!"

"If we can maintain 30% of today's customer traffic, without having to offer complimentary food and drinks, our daily profit should reach 200 taels!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi was immediately taken aback: "A profit of one hundred and eighty taels?"

She thought that it would be good enough if she didn't lose money today!
After all, they gave gifts and tipped him nearly two hundred taels of silver!
Su Mo actually said that they made a profit?

We still made a profit of 180 taels!
If we calculate it this way, wouldn't we be able to make a profit of... six thousand taels of silver in a month?

She stared at Su Mo in surprise and suspicion: "Are you sure you didn't miscalculate?"

"A profit of 180 taels, that's a whopping 5,000 taels a month!"

"Young Master Su said before that such a bonus would only be available once a year!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "It can't be wrong!"

"With such a high occupancy rate and such a high table turnover rate, if we can't even make a profit of a hundred or so taels of silver, we might as well just close down!"

He paused, then added, "As for the issue of profitability, there is definitely a gap between theory and practice."

"Besides, I'll definitely understate the restaurant's annual profit."

"What if we exaggerate and the figure doesn't actually come true? Won't you blame me, sir?"

Leng Liuxi was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Young Master Su, it's getting late. This concubine and Lord Qianhu should return now!"

"May I take this ledger back and examine it carefully?"

Su Mo nodded: "Of course!"

"After the calculations are completed, the money needs to be returned to the restaurant and transferred to the general account at the end of the month!"

He paused, then added, "Fengming Si can also send someone to the hotel to supervise the accounts."

Leng Liuxi didn't say much.

He personally took the account book, and even took Su Mo's accounting book with him.

As she reached the entrance of the main hall, she suddenly turned around and smiled at Su Mo, saying, "Young Master Su, a woman climbed into the inner courtyard earlier and was captured by the Commander." "She said that she is Young Master Su's confidante from Changping County, and she is currently in the inner courtyard."

Su Mo was dumbfounded.

A confidante in Changping County?

Could it be Xue Yishu?

She has a history of trespassing.

But shouldn't she go with Xue Shan to Tianchang County to take up her post?

Unfortunately, before Su Mo could ask...

Lord Qianhu and Leng Liuxi had already left the restaurant, boarded the carriage that had been waiting outside, and quickly left!
Su Mo could only remain suspicious as he called Jiang Lan and returned to the inner quarters.

……

Leng Liuxi and Gao Lengqianhu boarded the carriage.

His expression changed instantly!
The gentle and delicate Leng Xixi instantly transforms into the ruthless and decisive Empress Leng Liuxi, it's almost like she has a dual personality!
She glanced expressionlessly at the pale-faced, sweat-drenched Gao Lengqianhu and said calmly, "Go to the Ministry of Revenue!"

"Summon the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and an accountant skilled in accounting to an audience at the Liangyi Hall!"

The aloof commander hurriedly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

He then immediately got out of the carriage and sped off toward the Ministry of Revenue!

The empress returned to the palace with the account books.

After changing back into his dragon robe and phoenix crown, he had a female official carry the account book to the Liangyi Hall.

Guan Qing, a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, along with six officials from the Department of Revenue, were already waiting respectfully outside the palace.

After the officials of the Ministry of Revenue had an audience with him.

Leng Liuxi instructed the female official to deliver the account book to Guan Qing and said calmly, "Now, settle this account book."

Guan Qing dared not delay and quickly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Then, upon opening the ledger, he was immediately stunned.

I thought it was a corrupt ledger from some state government or imperial department... how come it's a restaurant's income and expenditure ledger?

Guan Qing was both amused and exasperated.

Upon hearing the Emperor's summons for an urgent audit, he brought along the most skilled accountant from the Ministry of Revenue, and even summoned Ding Yu, a minor official, to the Liangyi Hall.

The result was that they were asked to calculate the restaurant's operating expenses!

Even an ordinary accountant could calculate this clearly.

However, Guan Qing dared not say anything more.

The Empress is sitting on her throne, expressionless, waiting for them to settle accounts!
He immediately instructed Ding Yu and others to calculate the accounts.

The experts in the Ministry of Revenue are truly experts.

He flipped through the ledgers with one hand and frantically worked on the abacus with the other.

In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had finished calculating more than a dozen thick ledgers.

After summarizing.

Guan Qing bowed respectfully to the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, the accounts have been settled."

Leng Liuxi said calmly, "Speak!"

Guan Qing said, "The total amount recorded in the ledger is 2,281 taels of silver and 71 coins!"

"Expenditure of 800 taels and 30 coins."

"One thousand three hundred taels of silver in the deposit account!"

"In total, we have a surplus of one hundred and eighty taels of silver and forty-one coins!"

Leng Liuxi frowned slightly: "Could I have miscalculated?"

Guan Qing quickly replied, "Your Majesty, we couldn't possibly have made a mistake in such a simple account!"

Leng Liuxi then asked, "If one of you were to calculate this account, how long would it take?"

Guan Qing hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Ding Yu.

This assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue was recognized as the top accountant in the ministry.

Ding Yu took a deep breath: "Your Majesty, if I were to do the accounting by myself, it would take half an hour."

Leng Liuxi was silent for a moment: "Can you finish calculating within fifteen minutes?"

Ding Yu was stunned for a moment, then said decisively without hesitation, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible!"

"There are more than a dozen ledgers and thousands of accounts. It is absolutely impossible to calculate them all in a quarter of an hour."

Leng Liuxi said calmly, "I saw it with my own eyes. Someone calculated this account in a quarter of an hour, and the surplus was exactly as stated."

Upon hearing this, Ding Yu immediately said in a deep voice, "No one in the world could calculate so quickly! Unless it was premeditated to deceive His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Qing broke out in a cold sweat!
If I'd known it was just a simple accounting, I wouldn't have brought this guy along!

No wonder this guy has been a minor official for over a decade and has never been promoted!
He's usually quite tactful in his dealings with people, but when it comes to settling accounts, he just gets stubborn.

I wonder how many people I've offended because of this!

They didn't even know who the person doing the accounting was, yet they accused him of deceiving His Majesty.

Deceiving the emperor is a capital offense!
Wouldn't that be utterly offending them?

If they hadn't died, wouldn't they have hated Ding Yu to the bone?

Leng Liuxi thought for a moment and then had the female official hand Su Mo's accounting book to Ding Yu: "Can you recognize the symbols on this book?"

Ding Yu took the book, looked at it, and was completely dumbfounded.

He could only honestly reply, "This humble subject does not recognize you!"

After Guan Qing and the officials from the Ministry of Finance finished reading it, they were completely baffled and had no idea what kind of mysterious characters were written on the book.

Leng Liuxi waved for the Ministry of Revenue officials to leave.

Looking at the thick ledger, his phoenix eyes showed even more suspicion!
Just who exactly is Su Mo?

Every skill he is proficient in is a level that ordinary people can hardly reach even if they spend their entire lives!

Leng Liuxi is not stupid at all.

Of course I knew about the Ministry of Revenue's shady dealings!

The restaurant's accounts are not related to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue will certainly not have any ulterior motives when calculating these accounts, so the calculation speed will naturally be extremely fast.

It took six accounting experts from the Ministry of Revenue the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to calculate the accounts!
Su Mo alone is equivalent to six of the Ministry of Revenue's top accounting officials!
Leng Liuxi let out a soft breath and murmured, "The Jade Capital in the heavens, with its twelve towers and five cities!"

"You mean...his background?"

"Where exactly is Baiyujing located? What power is behind it? I... have never heard of it!"

"impossible!"

"Even if Baiyujing is a reclusive and powerful immortal sect, it would be impossible for it to have produced such a prodigy... such a genius!"

No matter how hard Leng Liuxi thought about it, she couldn't figure out the reason.

At only eighteen years old, and from an extremely ordinary background, how could he be so knowledgeable and omniscient?

The empress was deep in thought when suddenly a sharp pain shot through her head!

His face was even paler!

He took a deep breath, took out a crimson pill, and swallowed it whole!

His complexion finally recovered somewhat.

His gaze fell on the ledger again.

Since the calculation was correct.

That restaurant really does earn 180 taels of silver a day, of which 90 taels go into the imperial treasury!

More than 30,000 taels a year?
The Empress was speechless when she came up with this number!

Regardless of Su Mo's background!
The Empress cannot let him get away with this money-making method alone!
Who made the Great Wu Dynasty poor!

With more private funds, it becomes much easier to reward ministers and win people's hearts!
Leng Liuxi became even more excited!

I wonder what kind of surprise Su Mo will bring her in Tianchang County!

This is a direct confrontation between the Empress and her courtiers.

It is a struggle between the power of the monarch and the power of the ministers!

Only victory is allowed, no defeat is allowed!
(End of this chapter)