Chapter 42: Women Are To Be Pursued

  Although he had already taken note of this Dreamy Chou, Yin Zhen didn't dare to speak rashly at the moment. Moreover, he found that this woman was leading him on throughout their conversation today, which made him add a few more points of caution. Just as he was thinking about how to say it, Zhang Mengjiao had already smiled lightly and said, "Fourteenth Master doesn't have to be troubled, I understand."

  "How can it be so fierce?" Yin Zhen's heart skipped a beat, "What did you figure out?"

  Zhang Mengjiao smiled like a little fox, self-satisfied with her cup of wine, and said: "I've heard a lot about you in Jiangning, the story of swallowing 'Four Great Constants' is even more vivid. They say you alone swallowed 80% of the shares, but I don't think so. Whether it's from the promulgation of the 'Regulations on Standardizing Ticket Numbers' or from the current situation where 'Four Great Constants' dominates the Qing dynasty ticket market, you can't possibly swallow 80%. Not to mention rewarding Zheng Shichang with a sixth-grade hat, so even if you got 30%, it's already the best you could do. 30% is only 15 million, and even if the court adds another 5 million, you still have at least 20 million in shortfall, right?"

  Yin Zhen was completely speechless and asked gloomily, "How old are you this year?"

  Zhang Mengjiao was taken aback, then suddenly stood up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "Is this what the Fourteenth Master means by elegance?"

  Is the reaction necessary to be so big? Yu Zhen couldn't help but laugh, a woman's age is indeed something that cannot be casually asked about in any era. He jokingly said, "I'm just checking if I've encountered an old witch?"

  "You're the old witch." Zhang Mengjiao covered her mouth and giggled, "No, it's an old monster." She suddenly realized that this sentence was problematic, and her face flushed slightly, but she quickly calmed down. Since Xun Zhen had such a large funding gap, he must be thinking of ways to raise funds. From the way he took over and operated the 'Four Great Heng', it was clear that he wouldn't be limited to just Shanghai. Two hundred million taels of silver was no small sum, and the profits from maritime trade were staggering - he wouldn't let it go easily. The question was, how would he operate? Would he integrate all of Qing's maritime trade like he did with 'Four Great Heng'? Heaven, wasn't that too crazy? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at Xun Zhen, whose eyes seemed to be gleaming strangely.

  His eyes were not the only thing that was strange, his expression was also weird. He felt like a cat watching a mouse that had fallen into an oil jar, and this mouse was still unaware of its situation, still desperately stealing oil to eat.

  He was initially hesitant, as this woman was knowledgeable and had a keen mind, with a talent for observation and memory. She was also skilled at understanding people's thoughts and would be an excellent teacher after some polishing. However, she didn't follow traditional etiquette and was extremely rebellious. If he only made her a teacher, it would be a waste of her life. On the other hand, if he took her as a concubine, the constraints of traditional etiquette might be too much for her to bear. Moreover, his four wives in the capital would likely become her subordinates. Nevertheless, he soon decided to let her choose for herself.

  "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Zhang Mengjiao called out softly.

  "Ah." Yongzheng came back to himself, subconsciously wiping the corner of his mouth, then composed himself and said solemnly: "I was thinking about your future."

  What is this guy thinking? Even if Zhang Mengjiao was clever, she was confused by Yin Zhen's words for a moment. She stared suspiciously at Yin Zhen's serious expression.

  "You have two roads to choose from." Yǐn Zhēn said seriously, "First, be my mistress. The advantage of this status is that for the rest of your life, you can live freely and unrestrainedly, I guarantee not to interfere with your freedom. Second, be my concubine, and later find an opportunity to promote you to a secondary wife. This status, however, is somewhat restrictive of your nature. Which one do you choose?"

  Mistress? Concubine? Do a concubine? Zhang Mengjiao was suddenly speechless, she came to find a way out for the Zhang family, not to find a way out for herself. The little good feeling she had for Yunzhen just now immediately disappeared without a trace. This guy is no different from that Xu San Gongzi who robbed civilians, they are all of the same kind, thinking they are superior and bullying the weak with their power.

  Seeing Zhang Mengjiao's bitter and resentful face, Yin Zhen said slowly: "You are the most unconventional person I have seen in this society of etiquette, except for me, no one can tolerate you. I will spoil you and love you, let you be as free from etiquette as possible. And there is a more important point, I can let you fully display your talents, your current stage is really too small, let me take you to see how big the world is, north to Japan, south to Siam, what you see is just a small corner of this world."

  As Xianzhen's low voice faded away, Zhang Mengjiao slowly calmed down. She had been well-read in classics since childhood and was exceptionally intelligent, making her extremely discerning. Not only did she look down on ordinary scholars, but even the young talents of Jiangnan didn't meet her standards. At the same time, she knew that no aristocratic family would accept a wife as unconventional as herself. Over the years, she had been stuck in limbo, unable to move forward or backward. Her friends from the same year, who were now mothers of five-year-olds, had gradually given up on her. Xianzhen, although a prince, seemed not to care about etiquette and was easy-going when interacting with him. Moreover, marrying into his family would bring great opportunities for her own clan.

  As Zhang Mengjiao's face softened, Yin Zhen continued: "Don't have any worries, those few hundred million from the Zhang family are nothing to your 14th brother. You are the treasure of the Zhang family, and in my heart, you are more important than a fleet of warships. What else do you hesitate about? Want freedom? I'll give it to you. Want status? I'll also give it to you. And I'll give you a stage big enough for you to show off your talents. What more do you want?"

  Zhang Mengjiao slowly sat down and said somewhat irritably, "I've only met you twice, don't you think it's a bit abrupt?"

  "When golden wind and jade dew meet, it's better than countless human encounters." Yin Zhen gazed at her deeply, "You're not an ordinary person either. Haven't you heard that the snow is falling as before? Do you know why I wanted to go out on a day like today? It was just so I could run into you by chance, put aside our identities and fame, let's put everything aside. Honestly ask yourself, being with me, do you feel comfortable? Do you feel happy? At least I really enjoy the feeling of being with you, believe in your own feelings, follow them."

  Follow the feeling, what a refreshing phrase. Zhang Mengjiao slowly poured herself a glass of wine. He ventured out in the snow just to meet me, this silly guy. But being with him really feels comfortable and pleasant.

  Seeing this situation, Yin Zhen stood up and smiled, "Tomorrow I will go to the mansion to propose marriage, first return." He said, taking a step to leave.

  "Ah! Hey! Wait a minute, I haven't agreed yet, what kind of relationship are you talking about?" Zhang Mengjiao stood up with him, her face blushing as she scolded.

  He let out a sigh of helplessness, "You don't agree, then I'll go even more. Since ancient times, it's been the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. I'll get the matchmaker to talk to your dad."

  "You scoundrel." Zhang Mengjiao cursed weakly and then asked in a low voice, "Then what about the Zhang family's matter?"

  It's done, the beautiful master is in hand. After three to five years of grinding and polishing, this Meng Jiao will definitely be a rare master. Yin Zhen was overjoyed in his heart, turned around and sat down with a big horse knife, "Tell me the cause and effect of the whole thing clearly."

  Zhang Mengjiao didn't hide or evade at this time, and in one breath, she told the whole story from start to finish. Yin Zhen listened and smiled: "Considering my wife's share, I'll take care of this matter."

  "Who agreed to marry you?" Zhang Mengjiao snapped, only then realizing that this guy had somehow regained the initiative in their conversation.

  As Yongzheng was enjoying wine and appreciating the snow in his warm room, messengers were galloping continuously along the southeastern coast. The news that the 14th prince, Yongzheng, wanted to integrate the maritime trade fleet spread like a bird with wings, and the heads of various aristocratic families, wealthy merchants, and big businessmen rushed to meet urgently to discuss countermeasures.

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