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

Chapter 169 The Empress Wants to Become Su Mo's Apprentice
Su Mo was genuinely surprised to see Leng Liuxi and Nangong Sheyue both at his residence.

However, I must have told my superior, Nangong Sheyue, about the secret letter I sent to Leng Xixi, which is why the two of them came together!
Su Mo originally planned to find Xue Yishu after returning home and give her a good scolding.

She hadn't returned to Tianchang County for a whole month, and no one knew where she was hiding!

This made his mother-in-law deliberately avoid him, which was quite embarrassing.

However, with Leng Xixi and Nangong Sheyue arriving ahead of schedule, Su Mo could only suppress his urge to teach Xue Yishu a lesson.

Let's finish the task first!

"This humble servant greets Lord Nangong and Lord Leng!"

Su Mo bowed to the two with a serious expression, then subconsciously glanced at their favorability ratings.

Well, not much has changed.

Lord Nangong has a 20% chance of being favored, while Leng Xixi has a 15% chance; their favorability ratings are not significantly different.

She appears cold and gentle, speaking softly and gently, but in reality, she is quite cunning; you can easily fall into her trap if you're not careful.

Despite interacting with her multiple times, my favorability rating is only 15 points; it's too difficult to increase it.

Lord Nangong is the best. He may seem cold on the outside, but he's warm on the inside. If you treat him even slightly well, his favorability towards you skyrockets!

At this moment, Lord Nangong did not have a green light bulb above his head, which clearly meant that the Divine Arm Bow's mission was not yet complete.

Yin Rou sent two letters, saying that the assembly line was more efficient and they had started manufacturing eight-ox crossbows.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the mission should be completed soon.

At that time, not only will the favorability rating increase to 40%, but the sword embryo will also be upgraded to a second-grade treasure!
Nangong Sheyue nodded slightly to Su Mo.

Leng Liuxi looked Su Mo up and down, then covered her mouth and smiled, "My lord has lost weight and gotten darker."

"It seems that in Tianchang County, he is truly working diligently for His Majesty."

"Please sit down, my lord."

Su Mo immediately became angry upon hearing this and raised his voice, "Lord Leng, this is my residence!"

She's so cold and aloof, acting as if she's the mistress of this mansion!
snort!
Next time, we'll have to have Commander Qianhu come over and properly teach him about this cold, impersonal issue of social hierarchy!
Su Mo sat down opposite Leng Xixi without any hesitation.

He first looked at Nangong Sheyue, then at Leng Xixi, and went straight to the point: "Lord Leng, do you still remember those three copper coins!"

Leng Liuxi stood up and poured Su Mo a cup of tea, saying with a light smile, "My lord, please have some tea!"

Then, she picked up the teacup, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip: "I certainly remember my promise."

"Could it be that you, young master, have completed His Majesty's task so quickly?"

Nangong Sheyue's two willow-leaf eyebrows twitched uncontrollably!

The Empress poured tea for Su Mo!

Su Mo snorted, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "This humble servant has not disappointed Lord Leng."

"The equivalent of 110,000 taels of silver and copper coins has been transported back to the capital, and the silver carriage has entered the courtyard three times!"

Upon hearing this, both Nangong Sheyue and Leng Liuxi's pretty faces changed.

The Empress slammed her teacup on the table and stared wide-eyed at Su Mo: "What?"

"110,000 taels of silver?"

Su Mo nodded: "A little over 110,000 taels."

The extra two or three thousand taels were given as a reward to the yamen runners and clerks of Tianchang County.

Leng Liuxi was speechless!
My own silver reserves are less than three thousand taels!
no way!
Su Mo's drawing of a cake is big and fragrant!

I recall the scene where the Divine Arm Bow and the Flat Box Cart, used in tactical coordination, utterly routed the Northern Di cavalry.

The warlike empress could not tolerate it.

The silver in the inner treasury was naturally being moved out continuously!

As it turned out, Su Mo said that two or three thousand taels was just a small fraction of the total and he casually gave it away as a tip.

The Empress was seething with hatred.

But they were immediately drawn back by the astonishing figure of 110,000 taels.

Taking a deep breath, she finally came to her senses and looked at Su Mo with a serious expression: "Young Master Su, are you sure you're not wrong?"

"Are you sure it's 110,000 taels of silver, and not 10,000 taels?"

Su Mo stared at Leng Liuxi for a long time before finally sighing, "Lord Leng, your perspective is too narrow!"

"Your Majesty has appointed me as a clerk in Tianchang County. Do you think His Majesty is only doing this for the mere 18,000 taels of silver?"

"Ten thousand taels of silver is not even as much as the monthly profit of Baiyujing and Yanyulou."

"Did I waste my time going to Tianchang County?"

Nangong Sheyue's forehead immediately creased with black lines, and beads of sweat appeared on her fair neck.

Su Mo is courting death again, daring to say that the Empress has a narrow mind!
Even if it's true, you can't say it out loud!

The Empress didn't know what to say.

She can't just say she's the empress; that's such a low-minded statement. So what?
Earning 10,000 taels of silver a month would truly astound anyone!
All I can say is that Su Mo is utterly detestable... Well, actually, he's also quite likable!
Leng Liuxi took a deep breath: "My lord has indeed shocked me!"

"Tianchang County has a population of only 200,000, yet it earns 110,000 taels of silver in a single month. How did you manage that, sir?"

As she spoke, the Empress raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone becoming serious: "Have you oppressed the people?"

Su Mo quickly glared at her: "Don't talk nonsense, sir!"

"You can eat anything, but you can't say anything!"

"If this gets to His Majesty's ears, wouldn't I be seen as a wicked official who bullies the people!"

Leng Liuxi smiled and nodded to Su Mo: "What you say makes sense, my lord. My words were indeed abrupt."

Su Mo snorted: "A mere 100,000 taels of silver, and this humble servant has to squeeze it from the poor? I might as well find a pillar and kill myself!"

"I'm not boasting!"

"I can come up with several businesses that can earn 100,000 taels a year at any time, and they can also benefit ordinary people. Why should we prey on the people and ruin our reputation!"

Leng Liuxi's eyes suddenly lit up: "For example? Soap?"

Su Mo scoffed, "Soap is such a restricted business, what's the big deal!"

"Unless Zhang Xuzu can build a seagoing vessel, go out to sea to hunt giant Kun, and obtain a large amount of oil!"

Leng Liuxi asked in surprise, "My lord, your knowledge is so vast? You even know about the giant Kun in the sea?"

Su Mo waved his hand: "It's just a whale, it's not like I haven't seen one before!"

He didn't bring up the topic, and then said, "Judging from your appearance, sir, you don't seem to have much money. I'll offer you a way to make money. Don't think I'm being unfair!"

“However…” Su Mo added, “Let’s get this straight, the old rules apply, we’ll split it 50/50!”

Nangong Sheyue and Leng Liuxi didn't care how hurtful Su Mo's words were.

They all stared wide-eyed at Su Mo.

I really don't believe he can just casually pull out a method to earn 100,000 taels of silver a year!

Su Mo paused slightly: "Ordinary people are not allowed to ride horses inside or outside the capital."

"It was not very convenient for sedan chairs to come and go, and not many families could afford to hire sedan chair carriers."

"The artisan barracks at Gufeng Mountain have already produced spring steel, which can be used to make axles and rollers, and thus make human-powered vehicles."

Su Mo simply found some charcoal pencils and paper and roughly drew a pattern of a rickshaw.

Although there is no rubber, the addition of springs for shock absorption and soft seat cushions can greatly reduce bumps.

Once the craftsmen have finished forging the Divine Arm Bow and the Eight-Ox Crossbow, they can seamlessly connect them and take on the rickshaw business, so they won't have to worry about not having work.

In addition, there are the mountain people in their own territory.

They had taken away several thousand acres of land, making their lives much more difficult.

They could also be made to manufacture simple parts for rickshaws; that's better than driving people to their deaths. Su Mo put down his charcoal pencil, looked up, and saw Leng Liuxi, who had moved closer to him.

I quickly moved aside to avoid bumping into her head like last time.

“Your Excellency could establish a passenger transport company and hire laborers to make a living by driving rickshaws.”

Su Mo casually boasted, "With the two million people and the potential demand in Shenjing, earning 100,000 to 200,000 taels of silver a year is a piece of cake!"

Leng Liuxi remained silent, staring intently at Su Mo.

It was an involuntary thought in my mind.

What's going on in this guy's head?!
He can come up with ingenious ideas that others can't even come up with, effortlessly.
Without a doubt, this is an extremely profitable business, or even one that requires no investment.

Once the rickshaws are manufactured, money will flow in continuously and can support many people!

The military value of rickshaws is immeasurable!
Dawu is mostly mountainous, especially the border areas, where the terrain is treacherous and the mountain roads are rugged, making it difficult for animal power to reach.

These rickshaws were extremely lightweight and were used to transport logistical supplies, military equipment, and even wounded soldiers...

Leng Liuxi never expected that her casual remark to provoke Su Mo would actually get the rickshaw out of his head again.

Her eyes darted around, and she covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "Young Master Su, you can't be biased."

"What about Lord Nangong?"

"If I only have one business, I'll be scolded to death by Lord Nangong!"

Su Mo said calmly, "As for Lord Nangong, I will naturally offer you a bicycle business!"

Nangong Sheyue couldn't help but ask, "What is a bicycle?"

Su Mo respected Nangong Sheyue far more than he respected Leng Xixi, that troublemaker, and quickly said with a smile, "I will inform you, sir, after I have completed the task."

"Let's talk about the regulations first."

Leng Liuxi nodded quickly: "Yes!"

"Are the merchants of Tianchang County really so wealthy that they are willing to spend 110,000 taels of silver to purchase regulations?"

Su Mo nodded: "There's definitely money!"

"Which of those gentry and wealthy families, those powerful clans, didn't have ten or eight thousand taels of silver hidden in their cellars?"

"The wealthy merchants have all gone to seas; it's only the imperial court that's impoverished!"

Su Mo paused, then added, "However, of these 110,000 taels of silver, more than 70,000 are fines for violating regulations."

"The 40,000 or so were the proceeds from the purchase of the regulations by merchants and wealthy households."

Nangong Sheyue quickly replied, "Forty thousand taels is already quite a lot!"

"If this policy is extended to ten counties near the capital, we could earn over 500,000 taels of silver!"

Leng Liuxi also deeply agreed.

With these 500,000 taels of silver, she was confident that she could quickly build a 10,000-strong army, the flat-box cart and divine arm archer army that Su Mo had mentioned!

Su Mo nodded: "Forty thousand taels is indeed enough. One should not be too greedy."

Leng Liuxi was about to speak when Su Mo frowned and added, "However, only being able to collect them once every six months is too long. We need to find a way to improve it!"

Nangong Shoots the Moon...

Leng Liuxi...

The Empress took a deep breath and stared intently at Su Mo: "What did you just say?"

"What do you mean it's only collected once every six months?"

Su Mo blinked: "It means it's collected every six months!"

"Those merchants are truly cunning. They're afraid I'll cheat them, so they've all bought six-month memberships!"

The Empress and Nangong Sheyue were completely bewildered.

member?

What is a member?
The Empress and Nangong Sheyue said they couldn't understand what Su Mo was saying at all!
All I know is that this sum of over 40,000 taels of silver can be collected again in about six months!
Just like harvesting chives, one crop after another!

If the revenue is collected every six months, at 500,000 taels each time, doesn't that mean that as long as the regulations are relaxed in the ten counties of Shenjing, the annual income could reach millions of taels of silver?

The Empress was utterly speechless!

Su Mo frowned, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and then said to himself, "This subordinate has already made up his mind!"

"Within the next six months, we need to show them the benefits of paying for memberships, such as strictly prohibiting thugs from disturbing their business."

"For example, when he goes to the government office to handle affairs, he gives them some membership-level treatment. However, the degree must be well controlled so as not to make them complacent and arrogant, which would turn into a disaster."

"In this way, they will know the benefits of membership and will naturally recharge to become premium VIP members."

"The annual membership fee should be around 200,000!"

Nangong Sheyue was even more shocked!

Ninety thousand taels a year became two hundred thousand taels.

It's doubled!
According to the population of Tianchang County, one tael of silver should be given to each person!
They are comparable to the two taxes collected by the imperial court in Tianchang County!
Seeing that Su Mo's teacup was empty, Leng Liuxi immediately picked up the teapot and refilled it for him: "My lord, please have some water! Continue speaking! Your servant and Lord Nangong will then report to His Majesty!"

The Empress's beautiful eyes were filled with confusion: "May I ask, my lord, what about the premium 'Only Love' membership...?"

Su Mo interrupted the Empress: "It's not 'Only Love Criticism,' it's 'VIP'!"

Then he waved his hand and said, "Actually, there's nothing to say!"

"Once they realize the benefits of being high-level VIPs and receive the highest level of regulation below officials, they won't be able to stop even if they want to!"

Nangong Sheyue played along with the Empress's attempt to get information out of Su Mo: "Why can't you stop even if you want to?"

Su Mo casually replied, "The reason is very simple!"

"In doing business, what you rely on is nothing more than financial resources and methods!"

"The most direct indicator of strength is appearance!"

He looked at Leng Liuxi and Nangong Sheyue: "Please think about it, my lords."

"When people go out to do business, they are dressed in bright silk, with high-end VIP badges hanging from their waists, and they travel in four-horse carriages or eight-person sedan chairs!"

"I am just an ordinary merchant. No matter how rich I am, my carriage can only be drawn by two horses, and my sedan chair is carried by four people."

Su Mo sneered: "Isn't this tantamount to telling others that you have no ability?"

"In business, reputation is very important!"

Even if you're short on cash and don't have enough money, as long as others believe you have money, doing business will be much easier!

"Others who subscribe to premium VIP memberships have a smooth business, so how could anyone with a bit of ability not subscribe?"

After a pause, Su Mo sighed and said earnestly, "The worst thing for a person is to compare themselves to others!"

Leng Liuxi and Nangong Sheyue were completely convinced.

What kind of god or demon is this Su Mo? His methods of manipulating people's hearts are simply... simply...

Leng Liuxi really didn't know what words to use to describe her.

He subconsciously envied the junior officer, Yin Rou.

She was incredibly lucky to be accepted as a personal disciple by Su Mo and taught this supreme dragon-slaying technique!
if……

A somewhat...unbelievable thought suddenly surfaced in the Empress's mind!

if……

He himself appointed Su Mo as the Imperial Tutor...

Would Su Mo also impart all his knowledge to me?

Chapter Two is here!



(End of this chapter)