Liao Changhe was very efficient. That night, two hundred well-fed warriors, fully armed, set off for the Death Swamp to take over the White Bone Village, which Chen Ke had wiped out.
Chen Ke piloted the Pig-Trough Divine Ship, surveying the area in the air for a moment before turning around and flying towards the Great Xia Dynasty.
Using some tactics to win people over was a last resort for Chen Ke.
He didn't have the energy to focus on Jigong Mountain, nor could he stay to properly manage the power of these eight hundred men.
So, at the very least, Chen Ke didn't need these eight hundred warriors to be truly loyal to him; as long as they didn't fail him at crucial moments, he would have achieved his goal.
Around midnight, Chen Ke arrived at the mountainous area bordering Shuzhou and Zhongzhou.
Seeing the long, fiery dragon of the Chen family caravan finally emerge from the mountains, Chen Ke felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.
The rest of the journey, up to Xianxia Pass, was mostly plains and hills. Any large-scale mobilization of assassins would alert the garrisons along the way.
Therefore, the Chen family caravan was unlikely to encounter any danger on the rest of the journey.
*Beep beep, beep beep!*
Several red dots suddenly appeared on the cockpit's crystal screen.
Chen Ke was astonished and, as he lifted the cockpit, looked towards the location of the red dots.
On a mountaintop, Hu He, the chief bodyguard of the Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Clan, watched the Chen family caravan emerge from the mountains with a cold gaze.
He no longer needed to agonize over the matter and could now be completely certain that the more than a thousand missing assassins were gone.
His Highness the Third Prince had no chance at all.
Disheartened, Hu He led a few of his men and quickly departed.
Chen Ke coldly watched their retreating figures, wishing he could throw a few cannonballs at them and blow these bastards to bits.
But he could only think about it and then helplessly chose to give up.
Hu He, as the chief bodyguard of the Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Clan, possessed a cultivation level of at least seventy-two, which was beyond Chen Ke's current capabilities.
Now that his father and the Chen family caravan had escaped unharmed, why should he create unnecessary trouble?
In the night sky, the pig-trough-shaped divine ship circled once, then sped towards Daxia City like a bolt of lightning.
Back at the western suburbs manor, Chen Ke felt completely relaxed and in high spirits, practicing his sword under the moon until dawn.
After a gruesome breakfast, Chen Ke worked half a day, then went to the Divine Dragon Pavilion to read.
In the evening, he personally cooked some braised pig ears and duck necks, sending them to the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager.
Naturally, he also sent some to the Princess of Qin.
The duck necks, improved by Chen Ke, had become a popular dish in the imperial palace. Firstly, duck necks were inexpensive, even the deposed concubines under house arrest could afford them.
Secondly, the duck necks were seasoned with chili peppers, becoming more fragrant the more you gnawed, making them the perfect way to pass the time.
These days, the neglected concubines in the harem no longer counted beans at night; duck necks were their first choice.
White-haired palace maids sat idly, gnawing on duck necks.
Her beauty faded, yet favor ended; leaning against the incense burner, she ate until dawn.
The lonely courtyard was empty as spring drew to a close; broken bones littered the ground, and she remained indoors.
...
Strangely enough, even the most skilled imperial chefs couldn't make duck necks as delicious as Chen Ke's, and the same was true for other braised dishes.
Whether it was the Empress Dowager, the Retired Emperor, or the new Emperor, all favored Chen Ke's culinary skills.
Thus, in the Imperial Palace, Chen Ke received a new title, a playful nickname bestowed by the Emperor: "Chen Xiao Lu" (Little Chen's Braised Dishes).
And so, in Daxia City, Chen Ke's first investment, the "Chen Xiao Lu" chain store, was born.
To be precise, this business actually belonged to the Qin imperial family, to those idle, exiled nobles, with a total of twenty-two shareholders.
Chen Ke understood perfectly well that these were a bunch of insatiable ingrates, the kind who would count their money while simultaneously calling him stupid, but he still had to feed them.
The court had already approved six licenses for producing and selling high-proof liquor.
But these six companies had started late, missing the initial opportunity, and were far behind the Chen family's distillery.
The Chen family's winery had expanded rapidly, making a fortune daily, which was incredibly enviable.
If they didn't offer some incentives to the powerful and wealthy, the Chen family would become even more isolated, and the pressure on the Qin princess would only increase.
Of course, Chen Ke wouldn't do anything that would lose money.
One franchise store, well, let's say a franchise fee of 100,000 taels of silver.
Too expensive?
Fine, but you're not allowed to use my brand name, and you're absolutely forbidden from using my secret ingredients.
What, the secret ingredients are provided for free?
You're dreaming; one packet of the secret ingredient costs ten taels of silver.
So, before the franchise stores even officially opened, over six million taels of silver had already been pocketed by Chen Ke.
On the first day of September, forty "Chen Xiaolu" franchise stores opened simultaneously, a truly unprecedented spectacle.
No need for any VIPs or promotions; just the anecdotes about duck necks circulating from the palace, the poignant and eerie poems by imperial concubines, and the reputation established by the Xia royal family, were enough to draw the three million citizens of Daxia City.
Long queues formed early in the morning in front of the forty stores, and even into the night, the number showed no sign of decreasing.
By late at night, Chen Ke had another eight million taels in franchise fees.
"Your Majesty, this is your share," Chen Ke said with a smile in the imperial study, handing over a small box.
The new Emperor Xia Yuncheng put down his pen, glanced at the box in Chen Ke's hand, and smiled, saying, "Chen Ke, I only said a few good words for you; you can keep the kickback."
It was just a small duck neck shop; how much could it possibly earn?
Although Xia Yuncheng was short of money, he wasn't short of this small amount. Taking it would only make him seem petty.
Chen Ke, still holding the box, insisted, "Your Majesty's expedition is imminent, and money is needed everywhere. This is a small token of my appreciation."
Xia Yuncheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded helplessly.
It was rare for a subject to have such a sentiment; if he refused outright, wouldn't he be hurting his feelings?
The attending eunuch quickly stepped forward, took the small box from Chen Ke, and respectfully handed it to Xia Yuncheng.
Xia Yuncheng casually opened the box, took out the silver notes inside, and was immediately dumbfounded.
Five million taels?
Five million taels!
Hiss!
Xia Yuncheng couldn't help but gasp, looking at Chen Ke incredulously: "Chen Ke, this money, really..."
Chen Ke nodded, truthfully saying, "Your Majesty, actually, the franchise fee I received totaled fourteen million taels, but after deducting some material costs, labor costs, and some..."
Xia Yuncheng was somewhat dazed; he only heard fourteen million taels, not hearing a single word Chen Ke said afterward. "Damn it!
I racked my brains and exhausted all my resources, and I only managed to scrape together 20 million taels for military expenses.
And you made 14 million taels just by selling duck necks, or more accurately, just by selling a signboard?!"
Chen Ke left for a long time before Xia Yuncheng came to his senses. He looked down at the 5 million tael silver notes on his desk, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
"By imperial decree, Chen Ke, the Commander of the Military Farms, the Envoy of Fine Wine, and the Earl of Chengyi, has diligently performed his duties, been loyal to the Emperor, and rendered meritorious service to the nation, sharing the burdens of the country. He is hereby promoted to First-Class Earl..."