After exhausting myself to death

Shen Minghuan's business is in full swing.

He opened up the shops given to him by Emperor Yan and built a large restaurant.

The information that Emperor Yan asked Shen Minghuan to convey on his behalf was limited every time, so he obviously couldn't do too much intelligence business.

But after all, he frequently entered the palace and had contact with Emperor Yan and even many ministers, so Shen Minghuan could analyze a lot of information by himself. If he couldn't analyze it, he could still spread rumors.

Courtiers and families are not fools. They spend hundreds of taels not just to know what colors the emperor likes and which flowers he likes. They buy clothes just to express their thirst for knowledge.

In addition to the ready-made clothes in the store, everyone has also placed a lot of orders, which are prepared for these secrets that cannot be disclosed.

Just looking at Shen Minghuan's daily income of not less than two thousand taels recently, you can tell how pleasant their cooperation is.

But there was no need to tell Emperor Yan about this trivial matter. Shen Minghuan would hand over the silver notes to him on time, which was around 500 taels.

In Emperor Yan's view, Shen Minghuan intended to do business seriously and did not always expect to sell the secret history of the palace.

For this reason, his newly opened restaurant, although the second and third floors are grand and expensive, the prices on the first floor are very affordable. It is obviously aimed at wealthy businessmen with a little wealth and caravans coming and going.

This further confirmed the fact that this man had no ambition and was unwilling to get involved in the court.

Emperor Yan saw that he stopped his attack so cleanly and neatly, and the last trace of doubt disappeared.

The place where the restaurant is located belongs to the royal family, and all the ministers are well aware of this, so meals and banquets among colleagues will be deliberately held here.

Not only can he please Emperor Yan, but he can also give face to the mysterious and unpredictable Prince Shen.

Pay one penny and earn two favors, it’s really worth it! Your Excellencies are filled with satisfaction and admiration.

Shen Minghuan would still send half of the restaurant's profits to the palace. Looking at the one or two hundred taels every day, Emperor Yan felt that the money earned from serious business was indeed not much.

In fact, for an ordinary restaurant, a net profit of ten taels in one day is already a huge profit, but who let Emperor Yan first see the grand occasion of the ready-made clothing shop making money every day?

It was only one or two hundred taels, which was really not worth mentioning. Emperor Yan was happy to use this money to show his kindness.

So Shen Minghuan even saved the two hundred taels.

Emperor Yan could see Shen Minghuan's account book at any time, so he had no doubt about this number.

Even if there is some moisture, the difference will not be too big.

You must know that it is almost impossible to falsify the account books perfectly without concealing the truth. The larger the amount, the easier it is to make mistakes.

After all, there is such a big shop right there, and you can find clues with a little inspection.

At this time, Shen Minghuan was sitting in a luxurious carriage, drinking tea and eating pastries. He felt extremely guilty that he wanted to do business but couldn't lose his conscience, otherwise he would make too much money.

Shen Minghuan sighed, how should he spend all his money in his lifetime?

The carriage drove from prosperity to seclusion, and then from seclusion to prosperity on another level.

Shen Minghuan heard the lively laughter in his ears getting farther and farther away, and then turned into a suppressed wail of pain.

"Sir, we're here." Sui Qing reminded him in a low voice.

Shen Minghuan had already opened the curtain.

Yandu, the richest city in the Yan Kingdom, is home to countless dignitaries, princes and nobles.

The singing and dancing never stopped for twelve hours, and the river flowing down from the wealthy area was filled with the fragrance of powder.

In the most prosperous city, even the size of the slave market is much larger than in other places.

The unkempt and ragged slaves wore straw tags on their heads and their wrists were tied up with straw ropes. They were randomly discarded on the roadside like goods.

The clean shoes of noble people will not step into this poor and dirty land. Their world is lit with candles and lights all year round, and their eyes can only accommodate clusters of flowers, but cannot see the darkness in the corners.

Most of the people who come here are dressed as servants, with the owner's logo embroidered on their chests. Even though his status is not high, he can still look at the goods on the roadside with a proud and disgusting look.

This is a place recommended by the servants in Shen Minghuan's house.

Shen Minghuan's business was getting better and better, but there was not enough manpower, so the housekeeper said that instead of spending a large sum of money every month to find a job, it would be better to buy some slaves.

Cheap, capable, one pancake a day can feed you, and you won’t feel bad if you die.

When the butler talked about it, there were several servants around. They were really considerate of Shen Minghuan. They all nodded happily, their eyes filled with approval.

It seems that there is no problem with the existence of this place, with a natural calm.

The butler originally planned to go there by himself, but Shen Minghuan refused, so the butler had to worry about putting a lot of precious spices on the carriage.

"Master, that's not a good place. Just take a look and come back." The housekeeper was worried that slaves who didn't understand the rules would bump into his master.

Shen Minghuan looked outside the alley for a long time and really didn't know why the housekeeper was so wary. This shows that people are really strange.

"Sui Qing, go in."

It was rare that Sui Qing didn't respond immediately. He lowered his eyes and repeated what the butler had said: "Master, this is not a good place."

"It's not a ghost land, so why can't we go there?" Shen Minghuan asked.

One rejection had exhausted Sui Qing's courage. He drove the carriage slowly, and the voices became clearer and clearer.

It's hard to believe that there is order in a place like this. The people on the left side of the outermost circle are all half-grown children.

"No, no, no more than seven copper coins. This girl is too thin. I have to spend a lot of money to raise her." The old madam roughly pulled a little girl, looked up and down with critical eyes, and grabbed her cheek hard. Indicating that there isn't much meat at all.

The slave trader argued: "Eight copper coins can be repaid with just a few meals. Look at this body and face. Are you still worried about not having enough money to earn by then?"

The little girl was pulled so hard that she had tears in her eyes, but she bit her lip and did not dare to make a sound.

The boy on the side, not much older than the little girl, begged the slave trader in a low voice: "Don't sell my sister to her, please, I can work, and I don't have much to eat. Sell me, don't sell my sister..."

The slave trader waved his whip at him impatiently, "Go, go, don't disturb my business."

The little girl burst into tears immediately, "Brother, brother, do you feel any pain? Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

On the right are some young and strong laborers. In comparison, the transaction speed here will be much faster.

The boy took the whip and whipped the slave twice on the back. The slave did not dare to dodge or cry out in pain, but his breathing was much heavier.

They used this method to test the quality of their slaves.

The boy was very satisfied with the slave's performance and took out the money bag: "Twenty copper coins, I want both slaves."

He took the straw rope and the deed of sale from the slave trader, and left with the two slaves.

Everyone's eyes were calm, even the eyes of the slaves on the roadside were accustomed to numbness and death.

Shen Minghuan looked at this absurd scene and sighed lowly: "A single piece of clothing cost three hundred taels of silver, and there was an endless stream of people buying it. But now a living person only spends ten copper coins."

Yandu is a big city that can accommodate the carnival of drunkenness and dreams, as well as the mourning of hell on earth.

"Young Master, they are no longer human beings." Sui Qing lowered her eyes and felt an inexplicable desire to speak, "Most of them are people from other countries. Once the country was broken and they were displaced, they were kidnapped and made slaves."

Sui Qing knows that many people are kind-hearted. They will feel sad when they see the flowers withering, and they will feel pity when they see the helpless beggars.

But this treatment is limited to one's own compatriots.

Human beings are too good at classifying themselves into races. High and low, noble and humble, noble and humble, are like a natural chasm, straddling the vast world.

The madam on the left is still arguing with the slave trader.

The little girl stood in front of the boy, who secretly pulled the straw rope.

Sui Qing followed Shen Minghuan's gaze and said indifferently: "They can't escape. They don't have talismans and they don't have household registration. Even if they escape, they will be caught and brought back here."

Shen Minghuan couldn't bear to see how bitter and resentful he looked, so he lightly clicked his tongue and said, "Go and pay."

Sui Qing was stunned for a moment, and then quickly lowered his head: "Young Master is kind-hearted, but you can't save everyone."

Shen Minghuan is the one who wants to buy jobs, and these skinny children are obviously not suitable for adults.

After getting along for a while, Sui Qing knew that this young master was actually the most soft-hearted.

But what can be done? Can he save these two children and all the slaves in the alley?

Besides the capital of Yan, there was the capital of Cang, and besides the capital of Yan, there was the state of Jin and the state of Yong. There are so many miserable people in this world, how many can Shen Minghuan save?

"Sui Qing, you are so long-winded." Shen Minghuan interrupted his sadness: "Go ahead and pay."

Suiqing pursed his lips and took out a piece of broken silver from the purse at his waist, which was the smallest amount of money he had.

He jumped off the carriage and threw the pieces of silver to the slave trader, "Is it enough to buy these two children?"

Sui Qing's neat gown and the luxurious carriage behind him make him look like a nobleman who cannot be offended.

The madam didn't dare to fight, and she didn't have the money to fight, so she had no choice but to laugh with her.

The slave trader handed over the straw rope flatteringly: "That's enough, that's enough."

The two children leaned together, suppressing their cries and weeping.

For the fate of escaping disaster, and for the unpredictable future.

Sui Qing came back with the straw rope. He wanted to tie it to the shaft of the carriage, but he heard Shen Minghuan's casual tone: "Sui Qing, let them come up."

"Sir, this is against the rules." Sui Qing stopped him instinctively, but quickly realized his overstep.

He said "Excuse me" and then said "Yes".

Suiqing carried the two children into the carriage. Although he was reluctant, his movements were very gentle. Even though the two children were covered in scars, they were not hurt.

Sensing the hidden treasure in the embrace, the two children exclaimed quietly, and suddenly felt a lot more at ease.

Sui Qing carefully opened the car curtain, and Shen Minghuan was looking at him with a smile, "Sui Qing, you are a little strange today."

Suiqing didn't know how to answer.

Shen Minghuan didn't need to answer. He looked past Sui Qing and looked at the slave market behind him, with comfort in his voice: "Just watch, in less than three years, there will never be a place like this again where the moon shines brightly." ”