Chapter 305

End of the tenth month.

Chang'an.

The chill had permeated the streets and alleys, and the thin frost hanging from the eaves shimmered with cold light in the sun.

Mansion of the Superintendent.

Outside the Qingxue Pavilion.

Pei Suiwan was already standing at the steps to welcome them. Yuwen Ze pulled his fox-fur collar together and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, A Sao!"

"A Ze is here?"

Pei Suiwan wore a gentle smile and curtsied slightly: "Come inside and warm up quickly..."

"Your A Xiong has already started the fire!"

As she spoke, she made a gesture of invitation.

The floor heating in the warm pavilion had long been burning brightly, and as soon as the door was pushed open, a wave of cozy warmth enveloped them.

It was mixed with the smoky smell of burning pine wood and the sizzling, charred fragrance of fat.

"A Ze, coming early is not as good as coming at the right time; these lamb kidneys are just grilled!"

Chen Yan was squatting by the charcoal brazier, holding two skewers of glistening lamb kidneys. Seeing him enter, he laughed loudly, the firelight turning his face red. "Come and taste!"

He paused, then continued: "You are newly married; this is exactly the time you need to nourish yourself!"

The flames jumping in the charcoal brazier and the meat skewers sizzling with oil on the iron grill.

The lamb, with its mix of fat and lean, shimmered with a caramel color, and the edges of the kidneys were slightly charred. Oil droplets fell onto the charcoal, splashing fine sparks, and the aroma became increasingly thick and inseparable.

And in the bamboo basket beside them, there were round lamb testicles, as well as lamb organs with fascia, all washed clean and shimmering with a fresh pink color in the firelight.

It was a "sword, gun, and cannon" feast.

"Husband, you brothers chat..."

Pei Suiwan pursed her red lips lightly, a gentle smile rippling in her eyes: "I will go see Yun Guniang!"

"Mm." Chen Yan nodded and responded lightly.

Pei Suiwan did not stay long and lifted the curtain with light steps, leaving space for the two brothers.

The bamboo curtain of the warm pavilion fell, shutting out the cold and trivialities from outside.

"A Xiong, stop teasing me..."

Yuwen Ze shook his head helplessly and sighed: "My wife and I only had that one time on our wedding night, and that was just to finish the job!"

Saying that, he picked up a skewer, the lingering warmth of the charcoal fire still passing through the bamboo stick.

The kidney was grilled crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Biting into it, one first tasted the crispy edges.

Then came the rich and moist interior, without the usual fishy smell, leaving only the mellow taste after being grilled by charcoal, mixed with the salt grains sprinkled on the surface, soothing and warming from the tip of the tongue to the heart.

Since the wedding night, the two of them had been sleeping in separate rooms.

Usually, they wouldn't even see each other, and not seeing each other for three or five days was the norm.

"I heard that on the day of the return visit a few days ago, the Dugu Old Pillar of State's face looked very bad!" Chen Yan picked up a few more raw kidneys and placed them on the fire, lowering his head to fan the charcoal brazier gently with a small fan, his profile flickering in the firelight.

His words were full of playfulness.

The mansions of the two great Pillars of State were objects of close surveillance by the Mingjing Si.

Most of what happened there would reach his ears first...

For example, Comrade Dugu Old Pillar of State, who had a dark face the whole time and wanted to flare up but was forcibly holding it back!

"My younger brother took the dowry he had painstakingly prepared for his daughter; it would be a miracle if his face looked good..."

Yuwen Ze bit off another piece of kidney, the crispy skin wrapping around the dense texture inside. The spicy fragrance of Sichuan pepper mixed with the smoky smell of charcoal fire spread on his tongue.

He wiped his lips leisurely with a handkerchief. When he looked up, there was a touch of imperceptible laughter in his eyes, but his tone was triumphant: "But that dowry was indeed generous!"

Not only were there chests of gold and silver treasures, but also more than a dozen storefronts, and more than a dozen manors and villas...

Since that woman dared to scheme against him, he could only accept it all with a smile!

Due to the power of the Jin Wang Mansion, no matter how dissatisfied the Dugu old man was, he had to turn a blind eye.

"The Dugu old man cares about face and is afraid that his legitimate daughter will be wronged, so naturally, he wouldn't be short in this regard!"

Chen Yan was sprinkling salt on the lamb kidneys. Hearing this, his hand paused, and he raised his eyebrows at him: "I didn't expect it to benefit you, brat!"

For some reason, Chen had a strange feeling that his silly younger brother had been corrupted by him...

After all, when they first met, he had too many scruples, was bound by Confucian rituals, and would never have done such a thing!

It really is true that one becomes red by staying near vermilion!

"It was just as A Xiong predicted..."

Yuwen Ze picked up his wine cup and drank it in one gulp. The strong liquor entering his throat brought a fire-like warmth, which just happened to suppress the greasiness of the kidney.

He set down the wine cup, his fingertips rubbing the cold rim, and suddenly laughed lowly: "The Dugu woman is also an restless one; she couldn't wait on her wedding night and wanted to force me to sign so-called three rules!"

Having said that, he told his A Xiong about how Du Gu Mi Luo had taken out that carefully planned piece of paper under the burning red candles that night.

And the humiliating clauses and frameworks on it...

No children from other women?

Always giving offerings to the Duke's Mansion?

After inheriting the title, she would hold the financial power of the Prince's Mansion?

Beautifully calling it sharing the burden for him?

And if he didn't agree, she would threaten him with a hairpin?

"Interesting!"

Chen Yan found it amusing, smiling enigmatically, and said playfully: "Her appetite is truly not small..."

Compared to this, his Suiwan was too virtuous!

She managed the household well, was considerate, and could get along with the other women in the mansion.

Heaven and earth!

Without comparison, there is no harm.

"How could I indulge her and fuel her arrogance?"

Yuwen Ze raised his eyebrows, twisted the bamboo stick half a turn with his fingertips, and the coldness in his tone intensified: "I tore up those three rules, kicked away the threatening hairpin, and fed her aphrodisiac!"

Wanting to act like a tyrant?

Once you enter the Jin Wang Mansion, you must coil if you are a dragon, and lie down if you are a tiger.

If he really let a woman ride on his head, he, Yuwen Ze, would become the laughingstock of all Chang'an!

"Hahahaha!"

Chen Yan slapped his thigh violently, laughing until he swayed back and forth, and the bamboo stick in his hand almost fell into the charcoal brazier: "Well done!"

His words were full of praise.

This silly younger brother had indeed received his true inheritance.

"By the way, A Xiong, you specifically called me to the mansion; it shouldn't just be to nourish myself, right?" Yuwen Ze seemed to think of something and asked.

"Of course!"

Chen Yan nodded and said meaningfully: "A Ze, those dead things piled up in the mansion's treasury will eventually run out..."

"We need to make money with money!"

As he spoke, he picked up a sharpened wooden stick and deftly skewered the lamb testicles.

He then took the lamb organs, made a few cuts along the texture, and sprinkled salt grains and Sichuan pepper powder on them, his technique very proficient.

With a "hiss," the skewered lamb organs were placed on the iron grill, and the oil seeped out rapidly.

When it met the charcoal fire, white smoke rose, and the wild, meaty fragrance suddenly became even thicker.

"Make money with money?"

Hearing this, Yuwen Ze looked at the flames jumping in the charcoal brazier, lost in thought, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim of the cup, a trace of self-mockery flashing in his eyes: "But I don't know how; I'm completely ignorant..."

Father had almost taught him everything about governing the country, leading the army, and arranging battle formations...

Except for this business.

After all, among the four classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were ranked last.

"Is that important?"

Chen Yan didn't care and laughed: "Just knowing how to manage people is enough!"

As he spoke, he threw the testicles and organs onto the iron grill, stood up, took a document from the wooden table in the distance, and continued: "Look at this..."

Yuwen Ze didn't understand, reached out to take it, and after a simple flip, couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise: "This... this is... a ten percent share of the Chang'an brothel industry?!"

At that moment, Yuwen Ze probably understood what his A Xiong meant by knowing how to manage people...

Holding the shares in his hands and then handing them over to someone good at business to manage, while he only needed to manage that person!

"That's right!"

Chen Yan nodded, picked up the skewers on the iron grill, flipped them over, smiled indifferently, and said: "With this, won't there be a steady stream of silver coming in every month?"

"You will eventually enter officialdom, and there will be many places where you need silver in the future..."

This liquid money is cash flow.

The reason why the Great Chancellor is currently suppressing A Ze and not letting him enter officialdom is because the two great political enemies have not yet been resolved.

Once they are eliminated, he will definitely be ordered to enter officialdom to gain experience and accumulate reputation, preparing for succession.

And once he enters officialdom, networking, buying people's hearts, and building relationships are indispensable...

As an older brother, he naturally paved the way for him early on.

This is at least tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand taels a month, right?... Yuwen Ze held the document with both hands, staring at the numbers on it, calculating rapidly in his mind, and suddenly looked up: "A Xiong, this is too much!"

Actually, Yuwen Ze underestimated it, and also underestimated the charm of monopoly.

Once the "Wan-style" brothels are fully spread across the Great Zhou, it will start at at least hundreds of thousands of taels per month.

"Not much, not much!"

Chen Yan waved his hand and laughed: "The Great Chancellor gave me fifty percent, and I originally intended to give you twenty percent..."

"But now that silver is needed in all aspects, I can only temporarily wrong you, A Ze!"

Chen Yan is really not stingy.

After all, the Mingjing Si needs to expand, the movable type printing equipment needs to be improved, and he needs to pave the way for the imperial examination...

The aristocratic families are a double-edged sword, and they need to be balanced by the humble scholars later.

And for the humble scholars to rise, they must break the aristocratic families' monopoly on books and education...

Movable type printing is the top priority!

"Thank you, A Xiong!"

Yuwen Ze nodded heavily and thanked him.

"We are all family; why talk about thanks?"

Chen Yan took the lamb testicles, which were grilled to a crispy, golden, and oily finish, off the iron grill, fanned the heat with a fan, and handed them to the plate in front of Yuwen Ze: "Come, eat the lamb testicles!"

"Mm-hmm!" Yuwen Ze picked one up and took a bite, his eyes full of emotion.

In this world, besides his father, only his A Xiong would treat him so well...

Not only is he a guiding light, but he also considers him in every aspect!

"A Ze, you are idle these days anyway..."

Chen Yan wiped his hands, took something else, and laughed: "I have a plan here to strike at the two great Pillars of State, just in time to let you practice!"