With disappointment, Chu Chen closed the opened small black box and returned it to the system space before falling asleep.
In his sleep, Chu Chen had a rare and beautiful dream. He dreamt that the small black box had worked, the world had changed, and he had become a once-in-ten-thousand-years immortal genius.
He practiced Qi for a day, built his foundation in three days, formed his Golden Core in a week, reached the Nascent Soul stage in less than a month, achieved the Mahayana stage within a year, summoned the heavenly tribulation, and safely ascended to become a true immortal, looking down upon the entire Qingzhou Continent and exerting his might for ten thousand years.
During this time, numerous beauties threw themselves at him, including empresses and princesses from various kingdoms, Princess Xin Yue and her two best friends. It was a life of great pleasure, with one dragon and two phoenixes, and nine dragons vying for a pearl.
Then, the dream ended, and Chu Chen woke up.
"Tsk~ I haven't dreamt in over half a year, yet last night I had such a dream. Is this some kind of premonition of the future, or just me overthinking things?"
Chu Chen pondered uncertainly in his mind, then looked up at the sky.
"Damn it, I'm going to be late for court! Wait, isn't it three days a court session now? Then it's fine."
Chu Chen lay back down on the bed with peace of mind, closed his eyes again, and went back to sleep.
After sleeping for another hour and a half, Chu Chen finally got up from his slumber. He washed up with renewed vigor and headed to the government affairs platform to work.
The government affairs platform was where the Prime Minister worked, leading his staff to help the Empress handle state affairs, issue Prime Ministerial decrees, and manage governmental matters.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Royal Merchant Guild.
Although it was called headquarters, it was essentially a large courtyard resembling a shop, with a garden inside. The living quarters had been converted into reception rooms, offices, and storage rooms.
More than a dozen wealthy merchants took out handkerchiefs to wipe the sweat from their brows. They were dissatisfied but dared not express it. The Imperial Guards stood at the entrance, and they feared that any complaint would lead to them being taken for a "tea" on the next street, rather than having tea here.
Helplessly, the wealthy merchants had no choice but to patiently sit in their seats, waiting for Chu Chen to arrive.
They had been waiting there since the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), but it was now the hour of Si (9-11 AM). In another half hour, it would be time for lunch, and Chu Chen, the Second Prime Minister, still had not arrived.
Just as they were about to wait until noon and then return home if Chu Chen did not appear, Chu Chen arrived at the Royal Merchant Guild headquarters right on time.
"Esteemed sirs, my apologies, my apologies. This Prime Minister is late. It is simply that His Majesty has changed the court sessions to once every three days, and the ministers are not yet accustomed to it, leading to a backlog of many important matters that need to be handled."
As soon as Chu Chen entered, he cupped his hands in apology with great politeness, leaving the wealthy merchants unable to complain.
Old Master Zhao, the wealthiest among them, smiled, showing no sign of his inner dissatisfaction. He cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Prime Minister Chu, you are too kind. Handling state affairs is your most important task. We have only waited a short while."
Chu Chen chuckled inwardly, a smile on his face. He sat in the main seat and asked, "May I ask, esteemed sirs, what brings you here?"
Aren't you asking the obvious?
The assembled old masters grumbled in their hearts but maintained smiling faces.
Old Master Zhang said with a smile, "You are truly forgetful, sir. Are we not here for the matter of franchise? You, Prime Minister Chu, said that the Royal Merchant Guild is willing to let us franchise and exclusively sell all sorts of goods."
Yesterday, all the old masters present had learned of the power of the Royal Merchant Guild. The goods they sold were incredibly popular.
Although their wives could not buy the large glazed floor mirrors, they managed to buy a small handheld glazed mirror and brought it back for them to see.
Upon seeing it, they understood the immense business opportunities it contained. Not to mention the women's undergarments and sanitary pads, which almost every woman needed, presenting an even greater business opportunity.
And the perfume was even more outrageous; it was something that could drive both men and women into a frenzy. For adult men and women, especially those who were married, as long as they could afford it, who wouldn't want it?
Just smelling the floral scent on his wife's body was enough to make a man eager to engage in battle for three hundred rounds. Such moments were rare in life.
"Oh, it's about this matter. I remember now."
Chu Chen feigned a sudden realization, then pondered for a moment before saying, "I recall saying last time that franchising with the Royal Merchant Guild is not without its costs. One of the requirements is to pay an initial franchise fee. This fee is not valid permanently but is paid annually. Additionally, you must comply with the arrangements of the Royal Merchant Guild in terms of trade routes."
"Do you gentlemen accept these terms?"
"Prime Minister Chu, we have already discussed this and can accept it. However, we are unsure of the franchise fee."
Old Master Zhang nodded without hesitation but then asked hesitantly.
"It is paid annually, and failure to pay will result in the cancellation of the franchise qualification. The fee is not fixed but will not cause you to bleed excessively."
"The fee for the first year will be ten thousand taels of silver per year, and the region will be limited to prefectural-level administration. As for which prefecture, it will be first come, first served."
As soon as Chu Chen finished speaking, Old Master Zhang and the others shouted in unison, "Prime Minister Chu! I am willing to pay ten thousand taels!"
"Uh~ There is no need for you all to rush. The seventy-eight prefectures of Yun Yue Kingdom are more than enough for you to share."
Although he said this, who wouldn't want to choose a wealthy and populous prefecture as their exclusive franchise territory?
As Chu Chen brought out the map, the old masters were already engaged in quiet but heated arguments.
Chu Chen did not get angry. He placed the map, ink, brush, and paper aside and quietly drank his tea, waiting.
A moment later, the old masters reached a consensus.
As wealthy merchants, they knew the population of each prefecture and county in Yun Yue Kingdom without a map. In this regard, they knew more clearly than the government officials.
"Prime Minister Chu, we have already allocated our respective exclusive territories. However, we are unsure how to pay the fees. Will you send someone to our homes to collect the money, or shall we return to collect it?"
Chu Chen, not wanting to travel, said, "I will wait here. You can bring it before lunch. Remember to bring extra, as you will also need money for stocking up."
Soon, the old masters left to go home and collect the money.
Chu Chen watched their departing figures and smiled, "Now, for a franchise fee, you have to go back and fetch the money. When it comes to stocking, selling, buying and selling shops, and transferring funds, won't you be bothered to death?"
"At that time, I will let you know the benefits of a money house."
Chu Chen, of course, would not ignore something like a money house, which was similar to a bank. However, before it could be implemented, he needed to make these wealthy merchants and old masters work hard to fetch silver. Only then would they feel that depositing their hard-earned silver in a money house was safe, convenient, and practical.
Of course, Chu Chen's money house would only be a nominal name. In reality, it would also incorporate the functions of a bank, not just the simple writing of banknotes.
As for the anti-counterfeiting of banknotes, it was also simple. With his divine craftsman talent, he was like Lu Ban reborn on the Qingzhou Continent. Creating anti-counterfeiting banknotes and corresponding tools would be a piece of cake.