Chapter 344: The Future of Huangzhuang is Promising
In the Leopard Room, Emperor Zhengde was sitting on a bench in a Ge You-like lying posture. In front of him, Yu Yong, the Hui people's Jinyiwei commander-in-chief, was demonstrating the art of sex.

At this time, Zhang Yong walked in and whispered in the ear of Emperor Zhengde, "Your Majesty, Ou Zanghua, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, requests to see you."

Emperor Zhengde was watching with great interest. When he heard that it was Ou Qing who came, he immediately said, "Hurry up and announce it to your good friends, sharing good things with good friends."

"According to the order."

Ou Zanghua followed the eunuch to the outside of the hall and heard a confusing sound coming from inside.

He paused, bowed to the hall, and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. The ancients said that if one's heart and ears are disturbed, one will forget peace. I don't listen! I will wait for you respectfully outside the hall."

The eunuch was startled and his heart almost jumped out of his chest, but when he turned his eyes, he saw that Minister Ou had walked calmly to the side, standing quietly with a calm expression and a good look.

Although the young eunuch was extremely reluctant, he had no choice but to remain calm, walk forward with heavy steps, stand beside Minister Ou, and persuade him in a low voice.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, even Yu Yong stopped. When Emperor Zhengde heard what Ou Zanghua said, he asked hesitantly, "What do you mean, Lord Ou?"

Zhang Yong, who was standing by, recalled for a long time before speaking: "Your Majesty, what Lord Ou said about 'the heart and ears are filled with sorrow, and peace is forgotten' is from the article "Zuo Zhuan·Zhao Gong's First Year"."

Emperor Zhengde beckoned, and Zhang Yong immediately understood what he meant. He quickly instructed the eunuch beside him to find a copy of "Zuo Zhuan" from the book cabinet nearby and turn to that page for Emperor Zhengde.

The entire article is only 296 words long, telling the story of the Duke of Jin seeking medical treatment from the State of Qin, and the Duke of Qin sending Yihe to diagnose him.

To sum it up in one sentence: When a gentleman gets close to a woman, he should follow the rules of etiquette and not let his mind be confused by her beauty.

In other words, it is okay for the emperor to have sex, but he must be moderate.

After reading this, Emperor Zhengde smiled and said to Zhang Yong: "Ou Qing has misunderstood me! Well, Yu Yong, you should withdraw first and go through the main gate so that Ou Qing can see you."

"Yes." Yu Yong straightened his clothes and led the woman out of the hall.

When he turned around, his sight happened to catch the minister in crimson official robe outside the hall. Although the other person had an upright figure, he did not inspire the slightest respect in Yu Yong's eyes.

The corner of his mouth curled up into a sneer, and he said with disdain: "Hypocrite!"

Ou Zanghua looked indifferent, as if he was unaware of the man's presence. He let the eunuch lead the way and walked calmly into the hall.

Yu Yong immediately felt despised, but he quickly restrained his expression, lowered his eyes, and suppressed his anger.

When Emperor Zhengde saw Ou Zanghua entering the palace, he smiled and said, "Mr. Ou, I recently came across a few rare books and a rare person. I wanted to share them with you, but unexpectedly, a misunderstanding occurred."

After saying this, his eyes flickered, and he asked with a hint of amusement, "Have you ever been dabbled in the mysteries of the 'art of sex'?"

After hearing this, Ou Zanghua smiled and asked, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and I am also young and strong. For me, such skills are not necessary, is it not necessary for Your Majesty?"

When Emperor Zhengde heard this, he knew that men cannot say they are incompetent, so he immediately laughed and said, "Hey! Mr. Ou, don't worry too much, I am just curious."

"really?"

"Absolutely true!"

Ou Zanghua smiled slightly and said, "I see that Your Majesty is very vigorous and energetic, so I think it is not necessary." "Of course!"

Zhang Yong stood aside, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, trying hard not to laugh out loud. Only Ou Keqing would dare to say such a thing. If it were someone else, His Majesty would not be so easily angered.

Seeing this, Ou Zanghua appropriately restrained the relaxed atmosphere around him and got down to business. He took out a memorial and presented it.

Emperor Zhengde took it and opened it, revealing a look of surprise:
The Imperial Manor store at the Weiyang Palace in the capital opened for three months and generated a net income of 113,532 taels of silver.

The Weiyang Palace Huangzhuang store in Yingtian Prefecture opened for one month and earned a net income of 58,477 taels of silver.

Cheng Zhirou had just set up the framework for the Huangzhuang specialty stores in Suzhou Prefecture and Hangzhou and opened in February, so they are not included.

"The two stores together totaled 170,000 taels."

Emperor Zhengde looked up at Ou Zanghua and said with great pleasure: "If we follow Mr. Ou's plan and set up stores in Nanchang, Wuchang, Chengdu, and Guangzhou, the annual revenue would be..."

With this money, Emperor Zhengde could reform the Five Army Camp, Three Thousand Camp, and Shenji Camp according to his own ideas.

But before that, he still needs to wait for Qiu Yue's action. Only when Qiu Yue has complete control of the Three Thousand Camps can he reorganize the Beijing Camp.

To be honest, he has been putting up with those bastards who were drawing salaries for nothing for a long time.

Thinking of this, Emperor Zhengde secretly sighed. If only the imperial farm could be handed over to Ou Qing a few years earlier, why would he let Liu Jin do whatever he wanted just for a little money?
Eh? !

In a flash of inspiration, the Emperor Zhengde's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at Ou Zanghua and said with a smile: "Mr. Ou, you have done a great job in this Huangzhuang store. I think I should give the Renshou Palace Huangzhuang and Qingning Palace Huangzhuang to you as well!"

"Your Majesty, I am afraid that I cannot take care of so many things at once, and my energy may be stretched."

"Mr. Ou just said that he was young and strong. From what I have seen, he is also in the prime of his life. How could he be so weak?"

Ou Zanghua was stunned. When did Boss Zhu become so smart? !
Seeing that Ou Zanghua was embarrassed and still wanted to refuse, Emperor Zhengde said considerately: "Mr. Ou, don't rush to refuse. You can go and see these imperial farms first. I will give you two months to explore slowly."

"I will do my best." After hearing what Zhengde said, Ou Zanghua had no choice but to bow.

"Haha, that's exactly what I want!" Emperor Zhengde was immediately delighted. Compared to Liu Jin's wild way of making money that caused complaints from all over the country, Ou Qing's way was obviously much smarter.

He pointed at Ou Zanghua and said sincerely, "Mr. Ou, I have finally understood that the matter of the imperial manor belongs to you. I would always feel uneasy if I handed it over to someone else. But I am 100% assured if I hand it over to you."

"Thank you very much for your trust, Your Majesty. I will live up to your grace and serve you to the utmost."

After Ou Zanghua bowed his hands to express his gratitude, he directly made a request: "Since the business environment in various places is uneven, there are occasional disturbances and disturbances, which may affect the revenue of the Huangzhuang Store. Therefore, I suggest that the eunuchs guarding the store can be responsible for maintaining the business environment of the Huangzhuang Store in addition to their original duties."

"On the one hand, this move can use the authority and power of the eunuchs in the local area to effectively deter lawbreakers and ensure the safety and order of the imperial manor store. On the other hand, it can also allow the eunuchs to get closer to the people's livelihood and understand the people's sentiments, so as to better perform their duties."

"It just so happens that the Huangzhuang stores in Suzhou and Hangzhou are opening their doors to welcome customers. This is a godsend opportunity. I suggest that we use Hangzhou, where many merchants gather, as a pilot to see what effect my suggestion will have when it is implemented."

"Okay! Then let's do as Lord Ou says!" Emperor Zhengde didn't think much about it. He felt that Ou Zanghua's behavior was a bit petty and he only chose one city as a pilot. But on second thought, isn't this a prudent approach?

(End of this chapter)