Father, I think you are very unwise.

The Great Tang.

Is now the center of the world.

Even the slaves of the Great Tang are not comparable to countries like Persia and Tubo.

Lin Shen turned around and took another deep look.

Then he left with Princess Changle and the others.

Seeing off this great god, the Market Prefect wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

Fortunately, His Royal Highness the King of Chu came to handle this matter.

As for those foreigners?

Consider them lucky that their shops caught the eye of His Royal Highness the King of Chu.

The Market Prefect hummed a little tune as he walked towards the Bureau of Market Regulation, preparing to contact the Jinwu Guards and the unruly people.

That afternoon.

A group of over a hundred Jinwu Guards, accompanied by a group of armed unruly people.

Rushed into these shops and drove out all the customers inside.

A man with a completely different appearance from the people of the Great Tang walked over, smiling at the leading officer, and said in dry Chinese, "Gentlemen, what are you planning to do?"

The Jinwu Guards had a stern expression and did not give this Turkic person a friendly look, "His Royal Highness the King of Chu has taken a liking to this shop. Pack up your things and quickly vacate it for His Royal Highness the King of Chu."

The smile on the Turkic person's face froze.

The Jinwu Guards reached into their arms and took out a bag of silver, "Here are two hundred taels of silver. His Royal Highness the King of Chu is buying your shop with this money."

"I have to say, His Royal Highness the King of Chu is so benevolent... you should thank him quickly."

The Turkic person's hands trembled, hesitating to accept the silver immediately, and said through gritted teeth, "Sir, isn't this too much..."

"I have been doing business in the Great Tang for three years, and this shop is my lifeline. Now, two hundred taels of silver are going to snatch it away from me."

Judging solely from the land price in the West Market.

Such a shop would cost at least five hundred taels of silver.

Moreover, this shop was located in the center of the bustling market, with exceptionally good business for several years. Its price was only rising, not falling. Two hundred taels of silver could probably only cover a fraction of it.

The Jinwu Guards narrowed their eyes slightly, a hint of coldness in their gaze, "So, you're not willing to sell?"

"The Bureau of Market Regulation, which direction its door faces, you should know."

"The Chang'an County Office, you also know."

"But since you refuse to obey His Royal Highness the King of Chu, then the gates of the Imperial City are also open to you..."

With every sentence the Jinwu Guards spoke.

The Turkic person's heart beat violently.

Moments ago, his mind was filled with money.

Now, he remembered where he was.

It's the Great Tang!

It's Chang'an!

The one who wants this shop is not just any person from the Great Tang, but the current His Royal Highness the King of Chu.

His business has grown so big, with an annual income of over ten thousand taels of silver...

Yet he couldn't even handle a seventh-ranking official of the Great Tang.

Not to mention, that lofty His Royal Highness the King of Chu.

Cold sweat streamed down his face.

The Turkic person remained silent.

The Jinwu Guards looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and said softly, "Will you sell now or not?"

The Turkic person gritted his teeth and agreed, "I'll sell! But the things in the shop are mine, and they cannot be sold!"

The Jinwu Guards chuckled, "His Royal Highness the King of Chu wouldn't even look at your junk. He has plenty of treasures in his hands. Do you think your barbarian goods can compare to His Royal Highness the King of Chu's?"

The Turkic person didn't speak, silently packing up his belongings and disappearing into the West Market with his merchandise.

The other three shops nearby met similar fates.

Many people watched the commotion.

But not a single person felt sympathy for these four individuals.

Nor did anyone think that what Lin Shen did was wrong.

After driving away these people, the Jinwu Guards bowed to the Tang people in the crowd and said softly, "Everyone, you've seen it. From now on, these four shops belong to His Royal Highness the King. His Royal Highness said that soon, he will open an even bigger supermarket in the West Market!"

There was a stir in the crowd.

"His Royal Highness the King of Chu is still engaged in merchant activities?"

"Whoever regards His Royal Highness the King as a merchant, that person must not know anything about His Royal Highness..."

"That's right! Crystal cups are so valuable. If they were in the hands of a merchant, they would probably fetch a sky-high price. But now, even we can afford them with a bit of effort."

"Doing this kind of thing, His Royal Highness the King might not make much money, it's just pitiful for us to contribute..."

"Without His Royal Highness the King, would you ever have the chance to taste such delicious food as fish tofu in your life?"

"That's right!"

Everyone's attention was on Lin Shen's big supermarket.

As for those foreigners?

Who cares about them...

Just as the West Market was starting to stir.

A small house in the Yongning District of Chang'an welcomed an unexpected guest.

After leaving the Duke of Lugu's mansion, Zheng Qian hurriedly came here.

Zheng Renji was somewhat surprised when he saw Zheng Qian, "Uncle, why are you here?"

After inviting him into the study, Zheng Renji asked cautiously, "Uncle, what brings you here this time?"

Zheng Qian sat openly in the main seat and said softly, "At home, we're preparing to deal with that King of Chu."

Zheng Renji widened his eyes, looking at Zheng Qian, somewhat at a loss.

Zheng Qian snorted, "What? Do you have any objections?"

Zheng Renji nodded, looking serious, "Uncle, that King of Chu is now at the height of his power in Chang'an City, his reputation is comparable to that of a saint. If we move against him now..."

Zheng Qian waved his hand, "The foundation of our family is mostly in the Chu region, you know that."

"While he hasn't stabilized his footing in the Chu region yet, let's eliminate him directly."

"If we don't act now, are we going to wait for him to stabilize his footing in the Chu region and then start taking over?"

Zheng Renji frowned, saying softly, "Uncle, I am currently only the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, with a rank of sixth grade... I can't get involved in this matter."

Zheng Qian didn't say anything.

In fact, it's not entirely Zheng Renji's fault.

As a former official of the Sui Dynasty, a companion reader to the Crown Prince.

After the Crown Prince left the palace, he could enter the court openly as an official and rise through the ranks...

But who could have expected that the Sui Dynasty would

 collapse overnight.

And the Tang Dynasty became the new dynasty.

As a former official of the previous dynasty, he wasn't executed by the Li family and could still hold a sixth-ranking official position, which was already a great blessing.

Thinking about climbing higher is impossible with his status.

After thinking for a long time, Zheng Qian waved his hand, "I understand this matter. The family doesn't expect you alone to topple the King of Chu. We have other arrangements, and this is an opportunity for you..."

"Seize this opportunity well, and you might be able to advance further."

Zheng Renji looked at Zheng Qian, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, a beautifully young girl, holding a bowl of lotus seed soup, walked in, looking at her father and said softly, "Father, I think you're being very unwise."

  1. The Turkic people are an ancient ethnic group and one of the ancestors of today's Turkic ethnicities. They lived in the grassland regions of Central Asia and Mongolia as nomadic pastoralists. Throughout history, the Turkic people had a significant impact on Central Asia and surrounding regions in terms of politics, culture, and language. They established powerful empires such as the Turkic Khaganate, Uyghur Khaganate, and Turkic-Indian Khaganate. The Turkic language belongs to the Turkic language family, and Turkic scripts were used as one of their writing systems. Their history has left profound traces in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, significantly influencing the historical and cultural development of these regions.
  2. "Jinwu Guards" (金乌卫) refers to a legendary military unit from Chinese mythology and folklore. The term "Jinwu" translates to "Golden Crow," while "Guards" implies a group tasked with protection or defense.
    In Chinese mythology, the Golden Crow is a divine bird associated with the sun and fire. The Jinwu Guards are often depicted as elite soldiers or celestial warriors who serve a higher power, such as a deity or emperor, and possess extraordinary abilities or weapons.
    The Jinwu Guards appear in various myths, legends, and literature throughout Chinese history, where they play roles in protecting important figures, fighting against evil forces, or assisting heroes on their quests. They are typically portrayed as courageous, skilled, and loyal warriors.