Strong Support
Lying in a pile of gold, Su Li felt particularly confident as she spoke, "Where did you get so much gold? Surely it's even more than the national treasury?"
Xiao Zetian said, "Over the years, I've had my men survey various places and discovered several gold and silver mines deep in the mountains. We've been secretly mining them, extracting gold directly. Also, I've had my men pose as merchants and partnered with salt traders, earning quite a bit. But everyone wants a piece of the salt trade, and many officials are involved, making it a complex whirlpool. Business requires great caution. Since last year, the emperor has taken an interest in salt and iron affairs, so the salt business will likely become harder. Fearing exposure, I stopped the salt and iron trade. Fortunately, a few gold mines are still operating, bringing in substantial income."
Su Li clicked her tongue. Xiao Zetian directly surveyed mines and dug for gold and silver. His moves were on a whole different level. Compared to Xiao Zetian's business, her own little fields and shops were like child's play.
She recalled how she almost believed Prince Ling's instigation, thinking Xiao Zetian valued her business talents and pretended to be her husband out of affection. She was really just overestimating herself and overthinking.
Suddenly embarrassed and blushing, Su Li's face turned bright red. Xiao Zetian grabbed a handful of gold and stuffed it into his pocket. "Wife, take this gold to compensate the merchants we partnered with. Didn't you want to buy land nationwide and promote greenhouse vegetables? Buying land requires silver. Take as much as you need, just tell Lingdang, and she'll exchange it for silver notes to give you."
Su Li blushed deeply, burying her face in her hands, and mumbled, "You... you want to support me in expanding my business?"
"Of course! As your husband, I fully support your business!" Xiao Zetian embraced her and kissed her forehead. "Your brilliant and ingenious ideas, like growing vegetables in winter, truly impress me. Your skillful hands prepare dishes better than the Heavenly Queen Mother's banquets—truly remarkable. And your kind heart, establishing schools and helping villagers prosper, your vision and generosity command my respect. With such a wonderful wife, of course, I must support your career."
"But my vegetable farming doesn't earn as much as your gold mining," Su Li said shyly, suddenly feeling her business paled in comparison to Xiao Zetian's.
"Gold mining has its merits, and vegetable farming has its own," Xiao Zetian explained with a smile. "Think about it: the gold I mine pays the army, but if disaster strikes, gold can't be exchanged for food. Your fields are different. Growing vegetables in winter, planting grains in spring, harvesting in summer and autumn, then vegetables again in winter. Over a year, you have both food and vegetables. If war breaks out or famine hits, your fields and grain are life-saving assets!"
Xiao Zetian's words stirred Su Li's heart deeply. She suddenly felt that her future career would be just as impressive as gold mining!
"Alright then, I'll use your gold as capital to buy land all over the country and stockpile it. We'll grow vegetables in winter and grains in the other three seasons! After harvesting the grain, we'll sell seventy percent and keep thirty percent. Having grain on hand brings peace of mind!" Su Li was fired up. "My Vegetarian Bistro will also open branches. The business is excellent. Look at Xiangmanlou, which has branches nationwide and makes so much money! In the future, my Vegetarian Bistro will reach Xiangmanlou's scale and earn even more silver!"