"A small profit?" Liang Yun and Liang Wen were taken aback.
Liang Yun said helplessly, "If it's a small profit, then I can consider not taking any profit, just the wages."
Liang Wen sighed, "Regardless, at least the young master's businesses are making money. The old master will definitely support it."
Liang Xiao calmly placed the chest on the table and opened it, revealing stacks upon stacks of banknotes.
Liang Yun, Liang Wen: ???
Their minds went blank.
After a long while, Liang Yun numbly asked, "Second brother, what is this?"
"How can you suddenly not recognize banknotes?" Liang Xiao retorted.
"Are they usable?"
"Nonsense!"
Hearing this, Liang Yun was startled, his voice trembling slightly, "Counterfeit?"
Liang Xiao frowned, "Counterfeit banknotes? How is that possible? Whoever dares to do this would face annihilation!"
The two almost suffocated.
This chest of banknotes, over a thousand pieces, were all real?
Liang Yun snapped back to his senses and roared, "You call this a small profit?!"
Liang Xiao pouted, "Only a hundred thousand taels."
Liang Wen and Liang Yun twitched their eyebrows, speechless.
A hundred thousand taels!
And "only"?
Listen to that!
"I heard the Duanmu family's assets are worth over a hundred million taels. What is a mere hundred thousand taels?" Liang Xiao said dismissively.
His ambitions were not limited to a mere hundred thousand taels.
He was just not foolish enough to rush things.
The two of them finally calmed down.
Liang Yun was still trembling, staring intently at the chest of banknotes, feeling dizzy as if countless pies were falling from the sky onto his head.
Did Second Brother say he would give me ten percent "profit"?
Under Liang Yun's astonished gaze, Liang Xiao took out a stack of banknotes and pushed it towards him.
"Third brother, this is your ten percent."
Liang Yun's heart was instantly overjoyed, and tears streamed down his face!
At the time, he thought Liang Xiao was just speaking casually. He never expected to actually receive ten thousand taels in profit!
After speaking, Liang Xiao took out five hundred-tael notes and put them into the equally stunned Liang Wen's hand, "Steward, this is your bonus."
Liang Wen came to his senses and quickly pushed the banknotes back, "This old servant has no relatives or friends and relies entirely on the old master's kindness for shelter. This life I will guard the Liang mansion, money cannot be brought when born nor taken when died. Enough is enough. If young master truly has a heart, perhaps it can be used to reward the workers."
"I have prepared a share for the workers," Liang Xiao said, about to give Liang Wen more banknotes.
Liang Wen steadfastly refused to accept. In the end, Liang Xiao had no choice but to mentally decide to buy him some treasures and tonics.
Liang Yun excitedly went to deposit his money, while Liang Wen took Liang Xiao's banknotes to the bank to exchange them for silver, intending to distribute them to the workers.
Before leaving, Liang Wen did not forget to remind Liang Xiao, "Second young master, the day of Lichun is approaching, and talented scholars from all over are already arriving in the capital. They cannot be underestimated! Your performance in the national selection is related to the honor of our Liang mansion, so you cannot be careless..."
Liang Xiao returned to his room and was in high spirits upon seeing Luo Qingxue, Yue Lian, and Zhen Mi present. He informed them about the wine sales.
After the three were shocked, Yue Lian and Zhen Mi were overjoyed to tears.
Luo Qingxue stared at Liang Xiao blankly, her eyes complex, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Qingxue?" Liang Xiao called out softly.
Coming back to her senses, two streams of tears poured from Luo Qingxue's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Liang Xiao asked with concern.
"I'm just happy and ashamed. You are not useless at all; on the contrary..." Luo Qingxue sobbed, then continued, "You promised me, you wouldn't always be indulging in debauchery just because you have money."
Liang Xiao smiled and agreed, pulling Luo Qingxue into his embrace.
Earlier, he had wanted to buy them some good things, but all three had opposed extravagance without exception.
The three calmed their emotions and listened as Liang Xiao described how he "ripped off" customers in the hall, making others grind their teeth in anger, while they themselves laughed until they were breathless.
Luo Qingxue, seeing that dusk had arrived, shyly broke free from Liang Xiao's embrace.
"I should be going back!"
Liang Xiao repeatedly urged Luo Qingxue to be safe.
Luo Qingxue smiled confidently, "There are enough guards, and besides, humph, I'm not someone frail and delicate..."
Liang Xiao smiled faintly.
Luo Qingxue had learned swordplay, and there was always a sword in her carriage.
After seeing Luo Qingxue off, Liang Xiao went straight to the winery and found a crowd already gathered in the courtyard.
"Benefactor!"
Everyone from the households saw Liang Xiao and thanked him with tears in their eyes.
"Has everyone received the five taels of silver awarded to each household?" Liang Xiao asked.
The workers from all the households took out the five taels of silver, looking uneasy, and asked, "Benefactor, we heard that the winery is going to stop production soon!"
Some even had their knees bent, ready to prostrate themselves and kowtow the moment they received an affirmative answer from Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Didn't I send someone to inform everyone? Meals will be provided as usual, and wages will be paid!"
The crowd exchanged glances, and then their faces were filled with trepidation.
They received money without working?
"Please, benefactor, continue production. We don't feel right taking this money!" everyone pleaded.
Liang Xiao shook his head and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to continue production. Grain prices have been rising recently, and it's cold. It's not suitable for brewing wine. We'll wait until spring. The reason I'm still paying your wages is because you cannot leave this place for now. This wage is exchanged for your personal freedom."
The crowd seemed to understand but not quite.
Liang Xiao continued, "Consider it as conserving energy. We will resume work after some time. But I hope you understand that in the future, you will also be ordinary workers, without so many privileges and restrictions."
Only then did the crowd feel at ease and were grateful to Liang Xiao.
Watching the people rejoice, Liang Xiao felt a surge of emotion.
He had done his utmost; he could not treat them any better.
His current generosity was solely due to his merciless harvesting of the wealth of these wealthy individuals in the capital.
When he could no longer harvest, this wine would eventually be mass-produced and sold at lower prices to ordinary wealthy people and wine connoisseurs to open up new markets.
Further down the line, the price of wine would become more accessible, with lower profits, until it reached a balance with the workers' welfare.
These workers, and those recruited in the future, would be free, and thus could no longer exchange their freedom for benefits.
Ultimately, it was due to insufficient productivity and limited grain!
As night fell, the street in front of the Luo mansion was bustling with people. Zuo Wushang, disguised, sat leisurely in the distance, waiting.
Several carriages approached from afar. Guards dismounted and escorted Luo Qingxue, who was in the middle carriage, out.
Luo Qingxue, as usual, thanked the Liang mansion's guards and watched them leave.
Staring from a distance at Luo Qingxue, who was talking to a maid, Zuo Wushang clenched the armrest of his chair with his right hand. With a burst of strength, he snapped it, his eyes filled with ferocity.
"The Liang mansion is heavily guarded. First, deal with this woman to throw Liang Xiao into disarray, lure the snake out of its hole, and seize the opportunity to kill Liang Xiao. This is the best strategy..."
Zuo Wushang's gaze was intense as he repeatedly pondered his plan.
He had already learned about Liang Xiao and Luo Qingxue from the barbarians' spies.
These two had reconciled, and Liang Xiao had even written a poem, "Mulan Ci," from Luo Qingxue's perspective!
Prince Zuo Xian was forcing him to comply. If he failed to report back, he would inevitably lose the support of the barbarians.
The grand endeavor of restoring the kingdom would be utterly dashed!
Luo Qingxue had already entered, but Zuo Wushang remained in place, contemplating.
Should he sneak in and assassinate her, or set a fire?
But what truly made Zuo Wushang hesitate was the question of killing or not killing!