Chapter 686: Huazhou's Richest Man

Listening to the conversation over there, Chen Yan gave a faint smile and continued to sip his tea delicately.

They spoke without regard for others, so not only Chen Yan heard them, Li Shimin and the others heard as well.

"Mother, look, that guy's tail is almost lifting into the sky; I wonder how smug he feels inside."

Gao Yang whispered to Empress Changsun.

She gave a helpless smile and said nothing.

Li Shimin couldn't help but nod inwardly; at the very least, the Money Shop run by Chen Yan was indeed enormously influential, its impact unparalleled.

According to Chen Yan's theory, having reached this stage, money already possessed the basic conditions for full‑scale circulation.

The common people's lives will become increasingly better.

But then, the dark‑skinned man at the neighboring table who had spoken first suddenly lowered his voice and said:

"Zhang Ge, after delivering this batch to Weinan County we don't have to, as before, bring back local specialties to sell; I think this time we can transport grain there."

"Transport grain?" the man called Zhang Ge was visibly taken aback, then shrugged, "Why transport that? Grain is cheap now, especially near Chang'an; the profit isn't even as high as shipping a bit of white sugar or silk back to sell."

"Listen, Xiao Wu, silk from Weinan County is getting cheaper; we can't afford the fine stuff, but we can still buy ordinary fabrics. If we bring in more and take them back, we profit both ways, make a few trips a year, and life improves, doesn't it?"

"Why bother with grain? It's still dropping in price."

"Also, here in Huazhou, the famous benevolent figure Shen Gong has now abandoned grain trade altogether."

"No, no, no." Xiao Wu surveyed the surroundings and whispered, "Zhang Ge, you're not from our side; you don't know that since May or June, some of our regions haven't seen a drop of rain. By the time we arrived, many fields' grain was nearly withered."

"If I'm not mistaken, a drought is about to hit!"

Zhang Ge shivered at this, hurriedly asking, "Is what you say true?"

"How could it be false?"

Their voices grew softer, and after this point they could no longer be heard clearly.

Chen Yan slightly raised an eyebrow, set his tea cup down, and looked at Li Shimin, saying, "It seems an unexpected situation has arisen; would you like to write a letter back?"

"No need." Li Shimin, naturally understanding what Chen Yan meant, replied calmly, "These things happen every year; Cheng Qian has dealt with many, we should trust him."

"Moreover, if he can't handle even this, how could he shoulder greater responsibilities in the future?"

"A fledgling hawk will eventually spread its wings and soar, and all I can do is give him a trial flight."

Fine.

Chen Yan said nothing, having long guessed that Li Shimin was testing Li Chengqian.

And Li Shimin's remark was correct: minor calamities occur in the Tang Dynasty almost every year; as long as they're dealt with promptly, there's no problem.

Nevertheless, Chen Yan kept a watchful eye.

He glanced at the two merchants at that table, calculating that a drought could never be solved merely by the court distributing grain.

If Shandong truly fell into drought, grain prices would rise, and the common folk would be the first to crumble.

"Why, uneasy?" Li Shimin lifted his tea cup and gave him a glance.

Chen Yan smiled, "Being reassured is fine; since the situation arose, lending a hand doesn't hurt."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, "How do you intend to help?"

"Simple," Chen Yan said leisurely. "In Shandong, the Money Shop has already expanded there; we only need to write a letter to Xu Lianyue, asking her to regulate Shandong's grain prices."

"That way, if Cheng Qian handles it in time, everyone will be delighted; if not, at least the Money Shop provides a safety net, preventing a major incident."

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly, "Since you want to make extra preparations, decide for yourself."

"Alright, the dishes are here; eat up."

Just as Li Shimin was urging everyone to eat, someone descended from the second floor, causing quite a stir.

"Shen Gongzi!"

"Shen Gongzi? Where is he?"

For a moment, many diners in the restaurant rose—some bowing, some eagerly greeting—and the already noisy hall became even livelier.

Chen Yan followed the voice, seeing a line of people descending the stairs; at the front was a young man of about twenty‑eight or twenty‑nine, dressed in brocade robes and jade sash, with a pale face and faint whiskers, exuding a refined, gentlemanly appearance.

As he came down, his gaze swept the hall, a tasteful smile perpetually at his lips—neither arrogant nor lacking a subtle air of lofty elegance.

"Who is this?" Gao Yang said he couldn't stand this Shen Gongzi.

Only because the other was clutching a folding fan.

Chen Yan said with interest, "He should be the son of Huazhou's wealthy merchant Shen Wan Jun; it's said Shen Wan Jun's family wealth amounts to a million, with businesses spread across Huazhou and Tongzhou."

"Locals call him 'Shen the Great Benevolent Man,' and it's no empty title—he builds bridges, paves roads, provides porridge and medicine, never missing a task."

"His reputation is excellent."

"Is that so?" Li Tai was unimpressed; with business this large, where could there be a purely good person?

He didn't believe such nonsense.

Li Tai took a bite of food and casually said, "Look at this kid's dress—he looks like a pretty boy; clearly a merchant's son, yet more flamboyant than a commandant. In my view, he's probably not a good thing."

Chen Yan gave no comment, not taking the Shen family to heart.

As for Li Shimin......

Li Shimin didn't glance any further.

Shen Liang, also the son of Shen Wan Jun, descended, and as he passed the first‑floor hall, his eyes involuntarily were drawn to Li Shimin's table.

First he glanced at Li Shimin's bearing, then at Empress Changsun's demeanor, and finally his gaze lingered on the quietly eating Li Lizhi for a brief moment.

That instant was so brief that others could hardly notice.

But one person did notice.

In the next moment, Shen Liang met a pair of indescribable eyes.

Deep and indifferent, as if devoid of any emotional fluctuation, like millennial ice, cold enough to make one shiver.

Chen Yan stared at him quietly, causing him to subconsciously swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Shen Liang immediately realized that this was no ordinary mortal.

Recalling his father's teachings, he muttered a curse under his breath, then slightly bowed and showed an apologetic smile.

Chen Yan's gaze lingered on him for a moment before moving away.

When Chen Yan's gaze shifted away, Shen Liang finally let out a sigh of relief, then hurriedly led his men away.

Li Shimin took in everything with his eyes, a faint curl at the corner of his mouth, lifted his wine cup leisurely and said, "What, can't you sit still now?"

"That doesn't seem like your usual indifferent attitude."

"......"