Chapter 379: The Ugly Talk Comes First

Rong Luoge smiled at Madam Kang; roughly the marriage between the two families has basically been settled, but it cannot be announced now, so Madam Kang naturally supports her in every way.

"The whole large workshop built over at the Glazed Tile Workshop, all the ladies know about it, right?" Rong Luoge said with a smile.

The ladies all nodded simultaneously, "Of course we know."

That place is almost on par with the Imperial Construction Bureau, and it is said to keep expanding; that piece of land is originally His Majesty's private property, so many who covet it dare not do anything.

That huge area reportedly contains several hundred workshops of all sizes.

Having such an enterprise in hand, and with merchants constantly coming to the Glazed Tile Workshop to lease workshops, it is hard not to wonder how much profit this could bring.

Madam Song, not wanting to be outdone by Madam Kang this time, immediately spoke, "Your Majesty sent us here because of the workshop matters?"

Rong Luoge nodded, "Yes, because your families have made indelible contributions to His Majesty, so His Majesty has allocated several parcels from the Glazed Tile Workshop for your use."

The people's eyes lit up; such a good thing exists?

The surprise on everyone's faces could not be concealed; Madam Song hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what does you mean by 'use'? I, a humble wife, am rather clueless."

Rong Luoge smiled and said, "These workshops are built on His Majesty's private land, so the land cannot be moved."

Under the heavens, all land belongs to the king.

Not to mention that the piece of land over at the Glazed Tile Workshop was originally His Majesty's; in the near future, even the lands of noble families will all be returned to the court, so won't it still be His Majesty's?

Perhaps they were unwilling before, but now they have voluntarily handed them over, so they no longer think about it; the more they think, the sadder they become. Yet compared with preserving their lives, those things are insignificant.

"However, because you support and cherish His Majesty, after He knows you have handed over all your clan's lands, He fears a loss of revenue, so He intends to entrust several enterprises from the Glazed Tile Workshop to you for management. May I ask whether the ladies are interested?"

Interested? How could we not be interested!

Now others have no chance to get in; if they have a chance, would they still refuse?

This… truly is a pie falling from the sky, and it's pure gold.

We didn't expect His Majesty to think of them so much; for a moment, feelings became complicated.

When the clan originally decided to align with His Majesty, they never imagined such a reward.

Rong Luoge, seeing their uncontainable joy, gave them a detailed explanation, "The workshops cannot be moved; His Majesty has arranged this. Yet such a vast area, once all merchants move in, the daily traffic will be far from small. Therefore, the provisions of clothing, food, housing, and transport within the workshops constitute a huge business. I will let you draw lots to see what you get, and you can run whatever business you draw. Since it's all based on luck, it's very fair."

Rong Luoge had Rong Xin bring forward paper and brush; she wrote, in front of everyone, four slips detailing clothing, food, housing, and transport. After the ink dried, she crumpled them into a ball and casually placed it on a large red lacquered tray.

Rong Xin carried the tray to the ladies, crouched slightly, gave a modest bow, and smiled, "Ladies, please."

Draw lots!

The three exchanged glances; such a matter could not be delayed. Almost simultaneously, each hand grabbed a paper ball, leaving one; Rong Xin took the remaining one back.

"Ladies, shall we open them and see?" Rong Luoge said with a smile.

The three exchanged glances, then suddenly grew nervous. Although clothing, food, housing, and transport seem similar, there are still hierarchies; for example, clothing is not needed by everyone. Merchants traveling bring their own wagons; only when their own wagons break down or are insufficient do they rent.

Food and lodging are the most profitable.

The three ladies almost simultaneously opened the paper balls, and the expressions on their faces immediately varied.

Rong Luoge just smiled at them, this time not asking any follow‑up questions.

But without her asking, they quickly spread the paper balls on their palms.

Rong Luoge looked and saw that the Yun family got clothing, the Kang family got food, the Song family got housing and transport, while transport remained because there were not enough people at the moment.

Seeing Madam Yun's slightly awkward expression, Rong Luoge smiled and said, "Madam Yun, don't be upset. Ready‑made clothing shops, silk and satin shops all have great prospects. To make up for it, when my workshops later produce new designs, I can send a portion to you for sale, how about that?"

Madam Yun was instantly startled, then quickly responded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Rong Luoge looked at everyone in a gentle voice and continued, "This is His Majesty's compensation to your families. Though the compensation is not very generous, it is the best His Majesty can currently offer. Moreover, the workshops have their own rules, and I hope you and your families will abide by them; otherwise, if you truly violate the law, don't blame this palace for turning a cold face."

One must always state the ugly talk first, lest pride leads to mistakes and harms relationships later.

The ladies felt a chill in their hearts and immediately agreed; who now dares to underestimate Your Majesty?

Such a massive enterprise is entrusted to the Empress, showing His Majesty's trust in the Empress.

"I will have Kang Shufei lead you to finalize all contracts; once the contracts are set, you can prepare to open your businesses. Since merchants have already moved into the workshops, it is best to start early," Rong Luoge said.

All responded in unison, "Yes."

Rong Luoge then let them depart; seeing their happy faces, she also smiled.

Good days are shared by all; as long as one is not greedy, things will keep improving.

These enterprises are leased to several families, with rent set at the most favorable rates; after covering costs, a small profit is given to them, which even serves to win hearts for Han Xinglan.

Rong Luoge and Han Xinglan were correct; the ladies are also bright and discerning. The Empress, with great fanfare, summoned them all into the palace to discuss this, clearly not wanting them to hide anything, but to help bring glory to His Majesty and the Empress.

Thus, after the three left the palace, they went their separate ways, quickly spreading the news.

Consequently, the entire capital was stunned by the news.

Princess Ming looked at Bai Zhuo, "This idea must have come from the Empress; this method of winning hearts is truly unexpected."

Impressive.

Bai Zhuo promptly nodded, "The Empress is indeed formidable; this way, everyone knows His Majesty will not discard them after use, but will grant further favor, so defections from other noble families may not be far off."

Who would dare to clash with His Majesty's artillery in a life‑or‑death struggle? The power of the artillery is the key; they cannot withstand it.