Chapter 48

Saying this, Zhu Youjian floated away gracefully.

After Zhu Youjian departed.

Wang Chengen looked at Zhou Kui and couldn't help laughing.

"Master Zhou, your humble servant has written something…"

Zhou Kui stared wide-eyed at Wang Chengen, silent for a long while.

Finally, he let out a "Hmph."

He snatched the envelope from Wang Chengen's hand and vanished instantly.

……

……

A few days ago, the Embroidered Uniform Guard loudly raided Zhou Kui's home.

It had already become common knowledge throughout the city.

But the Embroidered Uniform Guard raided, and that was all.

Zhu Youjian issued no decree of punishment.

Zhou Kui was not released.

Zhou family members went to the Imperial Prison to visit him, only to find Zhou Kui was not there at all.

Zhou Kui's whereabouts became the most talked-about mystery among all the nobles of Mancheng.

At this very moment.

Zhou Kui, whom everyone believed had been executed by Zhu Youjian, returned home alive and well.

Upon hearing this.

All the nobles and scholar-officials of Jingcheng erupted in chaos.

Everyone rushed to Dengmen to inquire what had happened.

"Master, the Duke of Cheng and Grand Secretary Hong have arrived."

Zhou Kui didn't even lift his eyelids; he clicked his tongue.

"Tell them to wait outside for a while."

"Tell them I'm busy."

"Wait—tell the estate's laborers: from this month on, each man's monthly pay increases by eight taels of silver!"

Finally, Zhou Kui smiled at the steward before him and whispered low.

"You get twenty taels!"

The steward standing before Zhou Kui froze in shock.

Then he bowed ecstatically.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

Deception, after all.

It's just this simple trick.

You can't possibly brag to people face-to-face that you have a way to make money.

Even a fool wouldn't believe you.

You must first pretend to be profound.

Make them suspicious.

Make them envious.

Once they're envious, once they're jealous, even the cleverest will fall for it!

Zhou Kui, a ruffian who once hawked goods on Qianmen Street,

how could he not know this much?

Outside Zhou's mansion, Duke Zhu Chunchen and Grand Secretary Hong Chengchou—one the Deputy Grand Secretary,

the other the foremost noble—

the leading civil and military figures of the court.

Thus, even though Zhou Kui was Zhou Guozhang, he had never dared to treat them with disrespect.

Neither man ever imagined that today, Zhou Kui would turn them away.

He even told them to wait.

The worst part was.

Zhu Chunchen clearly noticed that when the steward went inside,

his expression changed completely when he returned to deliver the message.

This joy could not be faked!

Hong Chengchou and Zhu Chunchen exchanged glances.

Zhu Chunchen immediately put on his spoiled nobleman's face, grabbed the steward's arm, and barked:

"How dare you speak to me like this, you wretch?!"

The steward, startled by Zhu Chunchen's sudden rage, froze.

He trembled and stared at Zhu Chunchen:

"Your Excellencies, your humble servant means no disrespect."

"My master, my master is truly occupied!"

Zhu Chunchen stared coldly at the steward.

"Zhou Guozhang has urgent matters—I'm asking you why you're grinning at me like that!"

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately sighed in relief.

He quickly turned to the two with a look of grievance.

"Your Excellencies have misunderstood—Master just said every laborer in the household gets an increase of eight tael in monthly pay. How could I not be happy?"

"I would never dare to neglect Your Excellencies—even if it cost me my life!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chunchen's expression gradually softened.

He waved his hand at the steward.

"Enough, it's nothing!"

The steward then turned and left toward the interior of the mansion.

Meanwhile, all the servants inside the Jia Ding Marquis Mansion were laughing uproariously.

Who could tell they had just had their home seized!

Zhu Chunchen, with a solemn expression, turned to Hong Chengchou beside him and asked:

"Grand Secretary Hong, this… this doesn't make sense!"

Obviously.

Even a fool could see something was off.

Zhou Kui's home was just raided, and he's such a miser.

For him to raise his servants' pay, he must have skimmed a fortune to be this delighted!

Hong Chengchou frowned deeply and lowered his Sang to whisper:

"Duke, you can't possibly have missed this?!"

Zhu Chunchen pondered carefully.

Then he suddenly looked up, stunned, and asked Hong Chengchou:

"Could it be that Your Majesty has granted the Zhou family a princely title?!"

Hong Chengchou stared at Zhu Chunchen in disbelief.

"Your Grace, what are you thinking?!"

"This Zhou Guozhang must have made a fortune!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chunchen immediately sighed in relief—then his face filled with sorrow.

"Made a fortune? He made a fortune?!"

"I'd rather he'd been granted a princely title!"

"If he can make money, it's worse than being stabbed with a knife!"

46, Hong Chengchou: Brother, when you make money, take me along!