Chapter 883: Wealthy
Chapter 883 -886: Wealthy
Since viewing the storehouse that day, Gu Wenheng had spent most of his time stationed there. As the items were sorted out, everyone gained a deeper understanding of just how wealthy the Supreme Emperor truly was. Gu Wenheng also did the math in his head; since the Supreme Emperor took over the sea trade, its scale had expanded several times over. It seemed the confidant who took over from Bai Jinglie was quite capable and loyal, or else the Supreme Emperor wouldn’t have amassed such a vast fortune. Now, faced with such a massive inventory, his challenge was figuring out how to offload it all quickly without depreciating its value.
Hua Zhang had also heard the news and specially set aside time to come take a look. He had heard rumors before that the Supreme Emperor’s storehouses were rather messy, but he hadn’t expected Mr. Gu to have completely sorted one out in such a short time.
“Just this single storehouse of Imperial Father’s is wealthier than the National Treasury,” Hua Zhang said, stunned as he stood outside the building. One had to realize that these storehouses were converted from the side halls of the harem. The fact that they were packed to the brim was a testament to the sheer volume of goods inside. However, these were ultimately just objects, not actual gold or silver. Trying to spend them would be rather difficult. Hua Zhang turned to look at Gu Wenheng. “Does Mr. Gu have any good strategies?”
Gu Wenheng shook his head. “As the saying goes, rarity increases value. But if such a massive quantity of imported goods floods the market, I’m afraid it will cause a shock, and they might not fetch a good price.”
“Is there no other way?” Hearing about the potential depreciation, Hua Zhang raised an eyebrow. If each item sold for a few Silver Taels less, the total loss would be no small sum. The thought of outsiders taking advantage of his family’s wealth made him unhappy.
“I am currently trying to find a way, but it is difficult to accomplish on my own,” Gu Wenheng replied. “I hope the Holy Emperor can discuss this with the courtiers. Perhaps a capable person among them can resolve this dilemma.” He felt he had been in the limelight far too much lately; it was time to let others show off their skills.
Hua Zhang agreed with the reasoning and planned to bring it up in the imperial court the next day. Having seen this storehouse, Hua Zhang was very interested in the others. Since the keys were now in Gu Wenheng’s possession, he naturally wanted to satisfy his curiosity.
Gu Wenheng smiled with a touch of wicked amusement and readily led him to a storehouse that hadn’t been sorted yet. “Does the Holy Emperor truly want to take a look?”
“Is there something wrong?” Hua Zhang asked.
Seeing Hua Zhang only a step away, Gu Wenheng kindly advised, “The Holy Emperor should step back a bit.”
Though he didn’t understand what Gu Wenheng was playing at, Hua Zhang obliged and took a few steps back. Gu Wenheng swiftly pushed the doors open and dodged to the side, immediately followed by a waft of musty air.
Hua Zhang covered his mouth and nose, retreating several more steps. “What on earth is stored in here?”
“It hasn’t been sorted out yet, but it’s mostly wooden items,” Gu Wenheng replied.
This was the least valuable among the several warehouses. Many bizarre and peculiar carvings were stored inside. Some had odd shapes, while others carried auspicious meanings. Of course, there was no shortage of good wood in here either. It was just that the Supreme Emperor had done a rough categorization, stuffed everything inside, and then ignored it. Even though Hua Zhang had mentally prepared himself before coming, he was still flabbergasted by the sight before him. The items inside were literally piled up in heaps. No wonder his Imperial Father had refused to open the storehouses for so many years—he probably didn’t want to see this mess himself!
Hua Zhang had guessed right. This storehouse was indeed used by Hua Shunming to pile up clutter. Everything he disliked was shoved in here. He would occasionally go into the other warehouses to admire his fortune, but this particular storehouse was the least conspicuous and the least remembered in his mind. Only when things couldn’t fit elsewhere or failed to catch his eye were they thrown in here.
“I can’t believe Imperial Father didn’t find someone to tidy this up,” Hua Zhang murmured. With so many palace maids and eunuchs in the harem, even if they were ordered to clean it once a year, it wouldn’t have gotten this bad. However, thinking of the Supreme Emperor’s capriciousness, Hua Zhang fell silent for a moment. “Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Gu,” he finally said dryly. He then turned and left with his personal eunuch, not lingering for another second, leaving Gu Wenheng completely speechless.
***
After Empress Dowager Zhou and Hua Shunming finished their meal, she finally spoke up. “Grand Emperor, our imperial son went to see the storehouses today. The items are numerous and jumbled. It might take some time to sort them all out.”
Hua Shunming’s expression became slightly unnatural. “Why did he go there? If he needs something, he just has to give the order and let his subordinates handle it. He certainly has a lot of free time as the Emperor.”
Empress Dowager Zhou covered her mouth and smiled. “He’s just a bit curious about the fortune the Grand Emperor has amassed over the years. He even wants to learn from you and save up a fortune of his own.”
This fortune was indeed massive, just a bit messy. A couple of days earlier, Hua Shunming had received veiled complaints from Gu Wenheng and was forced to allocate some men from his personal guard to help with the cleanup.
“He should learn from me. Don’t think I don’t know you all are scorning my private storehouses for being an absolute mess.” Hua Shunming had made peace with it now, and his tone was much more casual. “Laugh if you want. Don’t hold it in.”
The corners of Empress Dowager Zhou’s mouth curled up, though she maintained her poise. “According to our imperial son, the storehouse Mr. Gu sorted out matched the Grand Emperor’s detailed inventory perfectly, without a single discrepancy. Based on this alone, the Grand Emperor is worthy of admiration.”
Hua Shunming withdrew his smile. “That is because the keys to the storehouses have always been in my hands. I’ve never handed them to a second person. Tell me, if I had hired a massive group of people to manage them like the National Treasury, would my private storehouses still be my private storehouses?”
“The Grand Emperor makes a valid point,” Empress Dowager Zhou replied. “Over the years, my private storehouse has always suffered some losses. Either this gets chipped or that gets broken. It seems it truly is because it passes through too many hands.”
“Look at my private storehouses; they only take in and never give out. The items I rewarded to the harem before were all set aside in advance,” Hua Shunming said. “Sure enough, that old folk saying did not deceive me. That is why I have been able to reap such a bountiful harvest.”
Empress Dowager Zhou was left speechless. Hua Shunming smiled and explained it to her, “Every little drop makes an ocean, and every grain fills the basket. Over the years, countless courtiers have had their eyes on my private storehouses. Especially during a few extremely difficult times, I didn’t touch a single fraction of them. Otherwise, how would I have my current fortune?”
Empress Dowager Zhou knelt with sincere reverence. “The Grand Emperor is wise. I thank the Grand Emperor on behalf of our imperial son.”
“Rise,” Hua Shunming said. “I didn’t do this just for our imperial son, but also for the common people of this world.”
Empress Dowager Zhou still had her doubts, but she knew this wasn’t something she should pry into. They chatted about interesting anecdotes for a while longer before she returned to her own palace.
“She is already the Empress Dowager, yet she still can’t hide her expressions,” Hua Shunming said, shaking his head with a smile. It was a good thing he spoiled her and the Emperor respected her; otherwise, with a personality like hers, she would never have been able to have the last laugh in the harem. He knew exactly what the Empress Dowager wanted to ask just now. Fortunately, she had maintained her last shred of reason and held her tongue.
He truly had no intention of dividing his private storehouses among his other imperial sons. Many people had been inquiring about it these past few days, but he hadn’t given them any answers, feeling it was entirely unnecessary. What did a ‘private storehouse’ mean? It meant it was his personal property, and naturally, it was up to him to dispose of it as he pleased.