Film and TV: Obtain Alpha Dog at the beginning

However, Dou Zhao was not satisfied with the frosting sugar business, and proposed to Qin Hao to purchase several ships in Futing in preparation for maritime trade.

"Oh, even Frost Sugar, who is so rich, can't satisfy my junior sister's appetite. It seems that my junior sister is quite ambitious." Qin Hao played with the teacup in his hand playfully.

Dou Zhao said calmly, "Although frosted sugar is very profitable, only the rich and powerful in the court can afford it. The room for growth is limited. Moreover, this business also relies on the reputation of Senior Brother. Otherwise, the small Dou Mansion will not be able to withstand the pressure from the rich and powerful in the court."

“Although the profits from sea trade are not as good as those from frosted sugar, it has a wider coverage and is easy to scale up. If a little bit accumulates into a lot, the profits in the future may not be less than those from frosted sugar.”

Qin Hao put down his teacup and looked directly at Dou Zhao: "In which year did the Dingguo Council wipe out the Japanese pirates?"

"24 years of Chengping." Dou Zhao hesitated for a moment, but still revealed the key information.

"It is now the ninth year of Chengping, which means that it will take Duke Dingguo another 15 years to completely wipe out the Japanese pirates."

Qin Hao frowned slightly. He finally understood why Jiang Meisun had to die. Even if Prince Qing was not around, Zhu Jianshen would not let Jiang Meisun go.

You have to know that when Zhu Jianshen sent Jiang Meisun to Jinghai to suppress the Japanese pirates, he had just taken power not long ago. That is to say, it took Jiang Meisun at least twenty years from the time he received the order to the time he completed Zhu Jianshen's task.

That’s twenty years. How many twenty years can an emperor have?

When Zhu Jianshen most needed political achievements to establish his prestige, Jiang Meisun did not give him any support. On the contrary, Zhu Jianshen withstood the pressure from the court, gave money and people, and continued to support Jiang Meisun's Dingguo Army.

However, judging from the performance of the Dingguo Army later, Jiang Meisun completely trained the Dingguo Army into his own army, which was a way to death.

Later, Zhu Jianshen sent the crown prince to provide disaster relief, but Jiang Meisun refused to buy it and opened the granaries to release grain in advance. This was equivalent to Duke Dingguo using the court's grain to buy people's hearts. No emperor would have been able to keep him.

"Since you know that it will take Duke Dingguo 15 years to complete the pacification of the sea, why are you placing a bet so early? Aren't you afraid of being robbed by the Japanese pirates and losing both your money and your life?"

Dou Zhao replied calmly: "Although it will take until the 24th year of Chengping to completely wipe out the Japanese pirates, in the past two years, Duke Dingguo has been able to wipe out the two most powerful pirate gangs. By then, the risk of being robbed will be greatly reduced. Now everyone is afraid of the Japanese pirates and dare not go out to sea. It is a huge profit for us to go out to sea at this time. As long as our luck is not too bad, even if we are robbed a little, the profit provided by the remaining ships will be enough to make up for the loss."

"Since Junior Sister is confident, then Senior Brother will also take part in this maritime trade business."

"I have already prepared it for you, brother. This is the contract."

Qin Hao laughed and scolded: "You have dug a pit long ago, waiting for me to jump into it."

Dou Zhao smiled implicitly: "Brother, you are joking. How dare I do that? I am just being prepared."

There is only Dou Zhao's signature and fingerprint on the contract, and Qin Hao's signature is not required, after all, his identity is special.

"As for Futing, I will find a way to find someone to take care of it. You can just focus on your business."

"Thank you, Brother."

Dou Zhao and the two maids slowly went downstairs. Qin Hao drank the tea in the cup and then said to Ma Quan beside him: "I remember that Futing is the territory of the Marquis Zhongqin, right?"

"Your Highness, the son of the Marquis Zhongqin is now serving in the Jinwu Guard."

"Oh, let's meet up for a cup of tea tomorrow."

The next day, the faint sunlight tried hard to penetrate the thin clouds and sprinkled on his body. Qin Hao was wearing a moon-white brocade robe and waving a folding fan in his hand. Although he was still young, he had an upright posture and looked like a rich and powerful young man.

"Sir, please come in. Do you want a private seat or a room?" The waiter bent over with a smile on his face.

Qin Hao winked at Ma Quan, who threw out a piece of silver: "Is the son of the Marquis of Zhongqin here?"

"Yes, it's in the private room on the second floor. I'll take you there right away." The waiter held the change with a smile on his face. It was rare to see such a generous customer.

In the private room upstairs, the son of the Marquis of Zhongqin, who was wearing a dark blue robe, was about to salute Qin Hao when he saw him, but was stopped by Qin Hao's eyes. The former immediately understood and said to the waiter with a stern face: "You don't need to serve here, go out."

"Okay, Master, if you have anything to say, just let me know."

Qin Hao sat down in the main seat, then opened his folding fan and said to Lv Wenzhong, the son of the Marquis of Zhongqin, with a smile, "I just want to meet you to reminisce about the past. There's no need to be so reserved. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for the invitation to sit." Lu Wenzhong did not dare to be negligent. If it was the eighth year of Chengping, he really did not take the Ninth Prince, who had little presence, seriously. However, times have changed. He has been named King of Qin, and although he has not yet been enfeoffed, he has obviously been valued by the emperor.

The emperor had only three sons. Although the King of Qin had a shallow foundation and the possibility of inheriting the throne was almost zero, who could say for sure about such things? Even if we take a step back, given the prince's kind character, if the prince ascended the throne, he would definitely treat the King of Qin well.

Such a probability is enough to attract Lu Wenzhong's attention.

After seeing Ma Quan leave, Lu Wenzhong tactfully asked his personal servant to follow him out, and then he made tea himself.

The lingering tea aroma filled the entire private room. The rich tea aroma mixed with the light bamboo fragrance in the air made people feel relaxed physically and mentally. Qin Hao smiled slightly: "The prince is quite accomplished in this tea ceremony."

"No, no, I just learned a few superficial things to show off my knowledge. I don't deserve the praise from His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin." Lu Wenzhong smiled but felt uneasy inside. Although His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin was young, the pressure he put on him was no less than that of Prince Qing.

"Your Highness, there is no need to be nervous. To be honest, I have something to ask of you today."

Lu Wenzhong's heart skipped a beat: "Your Highness, if you have anything to say, just tell me. Don't embarrass me."

"Look at you, here you go again." Qin Hao shook his head and said casually, "I heard that the Zhongqin Marquis's Mansion has many properties in Futing?"

Lu Wenzhong secretly groaned, thinking that someone in his family had committed a crime again, so he could only bite the bullet and answer: "Your Highness, the lineage of the Marquis of Zhongqin has settled in Futing since the reign of Emperor Taizu. We do have some property, but recently the Japanese pirates have been causing chaos, and only one tenth of our family's property has survived, making it difficult to continue..."

"Well, I'm not going to borrow money from you, why are you crying poor?" Qin Hao said with a straight face: "My junior sister is planning to open a sea trade company in Futing, please take care of it, my prince."

Qin Hao did not ask Lu Wenzhong to invest, not because he was reluctant to give up the future dividends, but Lu Wenzhong would not accept it even if he asked. After all, compared with this "small profit", it was really unwise to tie the entire Zhongqin Marquis Mansion to Qin Hao's pirate ship.

When Lu Wenzhong heard that it was just a small matter, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was something else and was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

He immediately patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. This matter is in the care of the Marquis Zhongqin Mansion. As long as it is within the territory of Futing, I will do my best to arrange it properly and will never let your junior sister encounter any obstacles."

"I just don't know who your junior sister is..."

"The eldest daughter of the Dou family, Dou Zhao."

“Oh~~~”

After Lu Wenzhong walked out of the private room, he smiled meaningfully.

Three days later, Dou Zhao was reconciling accounts in his room when his cousin Zhao Zhangru suddenly rushed in.

"Cousin, didn't I tell you that I'm checking this month's accounts? If it's nothing important, don't bother me."

Zhao Zhangru sat down next to Dou Zhao and gulped down all the tea in the teapot. After a long while, he grabbed Dou Zhao's arm and said anxiously, "Shou Gu, you still have the mind to look at the account book here. Something big has happened."

"What happened?" Dou Zhao was a little confused. According to her memory, nothing major seemed to have happened in the ninth year of Chengping.

Zhao Zhangru leaned close to Dou Zhao's ear and lowered his voice and said, "People outside are saying that you have a secret affair with His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, and that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is forcing the Jining Marquisate to break off the engagement with you."

"What? Me and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, what a mess." Dou Zhao was stunned.

"How would I know? Anyway, this is the rumor in the capital now. They also say that you forced Wei Tingyu, the son of Jining Marquis, to cancel the engagement in order to climb up the social ladder. They also say that you are a vicious person... Anyway, a lot of dirty water is thrown on you."

Zhao Zhangru asked cautiously, "Shou Gu, you haven't offended anyone recently, have you?"

"We are together all day long except for going to the toilet. Don't you know whether I have offended anyone or not?" Dou Zhao rolled his eyes at Zhao Zhangru.

"That's right, could it be that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin has offended someone and has caused innocent people to be affected?" Zhao Zhangru slapped his forehead.

Dou Zhao frowned slightly, but quickly ruled out this possibility. After all, this groundless rumor could not threaten the position of the King of Qin at all.

At this moment, a majestic voice came from outside the door.

"Is Shou-gu in there?"

"Fifth Master..."

When Dou Zhao heard that it was Dou Shishu who came, he frowned immediately, but still shouted to the outside: "Fifth uncle wants to see you, please forgive me for not coming to meet you from afar."

After Dou Shishu entered the study, he frowned as he looked at the account books on the table, but then he relaxed his brows again and said in a kind tone, "Shou Gu, you are so young, yet you have to work so hard for the government affairs. I really can't bear it."

"Dou Zhao did all this willingly. It doesn't deserve the word 'hard work.'" After Dou Zhao finished speaking, she looked at her with her eyes and her nose. She no longer had any patience for this power-hungry Fifth Uncle.

Dou Shishu coughed twice and lowered his voice and said, "Shou Gu, there is a rumor circulating in the capital about you and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin..."

"Even Wu Bo said it was a rumor. Haven't you heard that rumors stop at wise men?"

Dou Zhao's words choked Dou Shishu's words. It was too uncomfortable to swallow them, but he couldn't spit them out.

After a long while, Dou Shishu finally took a breath and said, "Shou Gu, Fifth Uncle knows that you don't want Wang Yingxue to enter the mansion, but Wang Yingxue is already pregnant with your father's child. If this matter is not handled properly, not only will your father's twenty years of hard work go to waste, but the entire Dou Mansion will also be devastated."

"Aunt Shou, Uncle Wu hopes you can understand that you can't write two characters for Dou with one stroke. We are a family that prospers together and suffers together."

Dou Zhao was silent for a long time, then said in a cold voice, "What about my mother? Her last name is not Dou, but she has been running this family for many years. She suffered so much for my father to go to high school, and yet her body is still warm, and you, Uncle Wu, are sitting together and chatting happily with my father, the culprit who killed her. If it weren't for the help of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, I'm afraid Wang Yingxue would have already become the mistress of the Dou family and be in charge of the household affairs, right?"

"Fifth Uncle, in your eyes, as long as it is for the sake of honoring the family, everything can be sacrificed?"

Dou Shishu, who was always known for his eloquence, suddenly found himself stumped by a nine-year-old girl.

After a long while, Dou Shishu said bitterly: "Shougu, if you were a man, if you were in my position, you would understand that many things require a price."

"If Uncle Wu also had children, would you sacrifice them for the so-called family honor?"

"Yes! As long as they are surnamed Dou, they must be prepared to sacrifice for the Dou family, even my own children are no exception!"

The faces of his two deceased wives flashed through Dou Shishu's mind. If he had been content to be a minor official, perhaps he would have a pair of children enjoying his happiness by now, right?

"Shou Gu, tell Uncle Wu the truth. Is His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin interested in you? Didn't you always oppose the marriage with the Marquis of Jining? I'm sure that in a few days, the Marquis of Jining will come to discuss the cancellation of the engagement..."

Dou Zhao was not happy at all when she heard this. She felt sick just thinking about Wei Tingyu, but marrying the King of Qin would undoubtedly be another deeper whirlpool. If she was not careful, she would be torn to pieces and even her relatives would be implicated. She was not like Dou Shishu who only wanted to climb up. She would rather not marry and live a plain life than risk the lives of her loved ones.

"Fifth uncle, don't dream. His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is only looking after me for my father's sake."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Dou Shishu's eyes.

"In that case, there is no need to cancel the marriage."

Dou Zhao did not say a word. She had plenty of ways to cancel the marriage with the Jining Marquis's Mansion, but if it involved the King of Qin, once the emperor had spoken, there would be no room for maneuver.

At the same time, Qin Hao also learned from Ma Quan about the rumors about him and Dou Zhao.

"Is it Prince Qing or Queen Wan?"

The rumor could spread so quickly, it was obvious that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes. The purpose was, of course, to ruin his reputation, as the Prince of Qin had snatched the child marriage of the prince of the marquis's mansion.

What is even more interesting is that after such a long time, cheap father Zhu Jianshen should have heard the rumors from Ji Yingwei a long time ago, but he did not summon him. Can we rule out that cheap father is behind this?

"Interesting, it seems that the water in the capital is becoming more and more muddy."

The next day, when Qin Hao came to Wenhua Hall for class, the prince called him aside and said a lot of nonsense. To sum it up in one sentence, it was really disgraceful for a prince to snatch the child marriage of his subject.

Qin Hao was about to explain, but the belated Prince Qing patted his chest and said, "How dare the small Jining Marquisate snatch a woman from my ninth brother? My ninth brother, just say the word and I will go to the Jining Marquisate immediately and make sure they go to the Dou Mansion to cancel the engagement."

"You are aiding and abetting the evil." The prince said angrily.

Qin Hao rolled his eyes secretly. Good fellow, this guy is hitting everyone with one stick. Obviously, he didn't say a word. This foul-mouthed prince is indeed worthy of his reputation. (End of this chapter)