Chapter 549 - 543_1
"What opinion could I possibly have? It’s certainly a great thing, even a tremendous fortune. From now on, our family won’t have to fear anyone when it comes to business. With the Emperor as our backer, who would dare trouble us? Besides, the Emperor has now given us control of power; we won’t have to be at the mercy of the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir anymore," Lin Yue said.
Lin Yue’s words caught Zhao Erhu by surprise—he hadn’t expected that his wife would first think of this. But her vision was indeed sharp; she immediately identified the most crucial issue, something that had worried him before. If their business were to grow even larger in the future, especially with its violent nature, and if they were to disagree with the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir in business, or otherwise, he would be at a disadvantage. After all, the sea connections and Court relations were all established by the Princely Heir. Without these connections, he wouldn’t be able to continue the business.
However, Lin Yue misunderstood the reason behind Zhao Erhu’s stunned expression. She explained, "It’s not that I have a distrustful mind. Although the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir seems to be of good character for the time being, we don’t really know him well. You saved his life, and he is grateful to you, but we don’t know how long that gratitude will last.
"Business matters are inherently complex, let alone the fact that the profits from maritime trade are exceedingly high. We made hundreds of thousands of taels from our small ventures alone. It’s hard to keep people from being tempted by such wealth. Since the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir has set aside his status to engage in business, it means he needs money. No matter how much money he makes, it’s never too much. People can turn against their own relatives and siblings over interests—how long can our relationship with the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir last?
"If the Princely Heir continues to behave as he does, it might still be fine. But if our relationship breaks, we’ll only be at a loss. Now that the Emperor is involved, we can change this situation. Besides, the Princely Heir is the Empress Dowager’s maternal family. While such a related status may seem honorable, the actual situation is uncertain. I think the Emperor doesn’t fully trust the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir, which is why he wants to put the power into your hands.
"This is where being of lowly status is actually to our advantage. We’re just commoners. Even if our business grows and we amass a vast fortune, the Emperor won’t have to worry about us threatening his rights. This imperial strategizing can also be our opportunity," she continued.
"Wife, I..." Zhao Erhu was about to explain that he understood and had no misconceptions about his wife’s intentions when he was interrupted by Lin Yue.
"Let me finish speaking!" It was likely that the image of Zhao Erhu as a man deeply bound by loyalty was so vivid in Lin Yue’s mind, she thought he didn’t want to betray the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir. According to the message in the Princely Heir’s letter, it wouldn’t be long before the Emperor summoned Zhao Erhu to the capital to meet with him at the Palace. When that time came, facing the Emperor himself, Zhao Erhu must be careful not to appear too close to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s Princely Heir, otherwise, who knows what complications might arise. She naturally had to redirect Zhao Erhu’s thoughts.